5/7/2023 0 Comments Wild Pitch by Sloan Johnson“The cutter was way more consistent and sharp and angled, and that’s where I wanted it,” Smyly said. Smyly threw fewer curveballs than usual, preferring to get in work on his fastball and cutter with the arm slot change. He felt his fastball featured more carry, contributing to five swings on the pitch. Smyly’s arm slot adjustment focused on keeping his left arm closer to his body and being in a more compact, stronger position. “I know what I need to work on to be ready come April and I thought I’d taken a step forward with that today.” “Obviously you don’t want to go out and give up (two) home runs, but right now it’s more about getting reps and working on my strengths,” Smyly said. Numbers aside - he allowed three runs, six hits and no walks and struck out two in two-plus innings - Smyly was pleased with his outing. Smyly spent the last week working with Cubs pitching coach Tommy Hottovy to find a better arm slot and was encouraged by the consistency of his off-speed pitches in his start Sunday against the Rockies. The pitch looked too similar to his fastball and wasn’t playing well off his curveball. Drew Smyly’s cutter wasn’t showing the type of movement he wanted. The data suggested something was slightly off. Cubs starting pitcher Drew Smyly warms up before a spring training game against the Rockies on Sunday, March 5, 2023, in Scottsdale, Ariz.
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