The same issue that plagued Taiwan’s Chen Wei-yin during his first season with the Miami Marlins continues to trouble him.
Chen allowed two more homers in Miami’s 3-0 loss to the St Louis Cardinals on Sunday. The solo shots for Yadier Molina and Dexter Fowler made it six homers allowed by the left-hander during spring training.
“I think I’m ready for the season, but still I’ve got the same problem of allowing home runs,” Chen said through an interpreter. “I missed spots there, but other than that I feel that everything is pretty fine.”
Photo: Scott Rovak-USA Today
A fly-ball pitcher who surrendered 28 homers in 31 starts during his final year with the Baltimore Orioles, Chen signed with Miami as a free agent prior to last season. The hope was the more spacious Marlins Ballpark would turn some of those drives into long outs.
Not so much so far.
Chen allowed 22 homers over 22 starts last season on his way to a 5-5 record and a 4.96 ERA. He is 0-3 in Grapefruit League play this year.
“He challenges the strike zone, that’s one thing,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. “He’s going to come after guys. He’s not walking people. He’s not really giving up that big hit. The solos? You kind of live with it. If they get to be three-run homers or something, if there’s people all over the place, that’s something different, but he’s been fairly efficient and he’s been on the attack, so I’m happy with the way he’s throwing the ball.”
Two positive takeaways for Chen concerning those spring home runs — they were all solo shots and they represented the only spring runs he had allowed until St Louis plated an unearned run in the fifth inning.
Chen tossed five innings of seven-hit ball against the Cardinals, throwing 58 of his 83 pitches for strikes.
Chen’s biggest highlight on Sunday might have come at the plate. With two outs and a runner on first in the fifth, he grounded a Mike Leake offering back up the middle. Aledmys Diaz fielded the ball behind second and tried unsuccessfully to get the lead runner with a backhanded flip. The play was ruled a hit.
Chen is none for 50 at the plate in his career.
“When I came off the field and got in the dugout, [Miami pitcher Tom Koehler] came over and told me he’s got the ball and he’s going to put it in my locker,” Chen said.
Chen expects to make one more exhibition start, against the Detroit Tigers on Saturday, before starting the fourth game of the regular season at the New York Mets.
“I think [being] healthy is the main thing, him staying healthy and being able to give us his outing every fifth day,” Mattingly said.
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