Braves Minor League Recap: Luis Arestigueta Ks 6

Gwinnett Stripers lost 4-5 to Durham Bulls. Several hitters went hitless or struggled, while Rowdy Tellez drove in a run. Owen Murphy started for Gwinnett and went 4 innings, allowing 5 hits and 4 runs, with 4 earned runs, 5 walks, and 3 strikeouts. His walk rate remains a major issue, and his slider and curveball have not been effective, forcing reliance on his fastball. He has allowed four home runs in three Triple-A starts and nine in 34 1/3 innings. His fastball velocity averaged 93.9 mph and dropped to 90.6 mph by the fourth, and he reached 72 pitches without maintaining stamina. Reliable command of secondary pitches is needed to reduce pressure on the fastball.

"Owen Murphy, SP: 4 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 5 BB, 3 K, 6.59 ERA It's the third start in a Stripers uniform for Owen Murphy, and he has gone down, up, and now back down again as high walks rates continue to be a startling problem for him this year. Across both levels Murphy is already only five walks short of his career high for walks in a season, and a big problem has just been his inability to keep anything down in the strike zone."

"While his high carry fastball can play well in the upper parts of the strike zone and higher the same is not true of the slider and curveball, and both pitches have not been effective and have forced Murphy to be nearly completely reliant on fastballs to succeed. Pitchers who throw a lot of fastballs but don't have elite velocity tend to get hit around for home runs at the upper levels and with one more today Murphy is up to four home runs allowed in three Triple-A starts and nine allowed in 34 1/3 innings this season."

"Some of this is due to him just overall not commanding the ball well, but finding reliable command on his secondaries to take pressure off of his fastball is imperative. Murphy also struggled to maintain velocity in this game, averaging 93.9 mph on his fastball but watching that dip inning-over-inning until it bottomed at 90.6 mph in the fourth. Murphy has to have more stamina than running out of gas at only 72 pitches, though to be fair Murphy's fastball was by far his best weapon this game."

Read at Battery Power