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KISSIMMEE, Fla. - After putting himself in the middle of the race for the Nationals' final rotation spot, Ross Detwiler might have fallen a step behind Tom Gorzelanny and Chad Gaudin today. He allowed three runs, two of them earned, in three innings while giving up four hits and walking two.
Detwiler hung his curveball, which has been a solid pitch for him this spring, on several occasions. Once he struggled to put away hitters with it, he got in trouble, falling behind in counts and getting his fastball knocked around. The Astros currently lead the Nationals 3-2 in the fifth inning, with Sean Burnett having relieved Detwiler.
It's only one start, and Detwiler still has time to make his case, but today's start illustrated some of the problems he's had in the last two years. He'll struggle to locate at times, and only throws first-pitch strikes 53.1 percent of the time. He'd have two more outings before the end of the spring, against the Cardinals and Astros, and he'll need to make both of them count.
