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ankle problem after taking the pre-game skate
TORONTO - Drew Hutchisons first full big league season is scheduled to come to an end with a start against the Baltimore Orioles on Friday night. Custom Cleveland Indians Nike Jerseys . The 24-year-old native of Lakeland, Florida, is 10-13 with a 4.51 ERA. But a FIP of 3.94 and xFIP of 3.89 suggests a better year than the base numbers allow. Hutchison also is working a 23-percent strikeout rate and, entering Tuesdays play, ranked 18th among qualified starting pitchers having struck out 8.82 batters per nine innings. Hutchison discusses his season, his approach to the grind of a long year and shares the one start which has given him his fondest memories. Hint: its not what you may think. Listen to the interview here. Below is the transcript of the conversation: TSN.ca: Drew, one more start left before you put the wraps on your first full big league season. How would you describe how your season has gone? HUTCHISON: I think there are a couple of different ways to look at it. Obviously, your first goal every year is to stay healthy and make every start so I think that was my first goal and going into this last one, so far, Ive been able to do that so I think thats a very big positive. I think Ive had a pretty interesting season, a lot of real highs and real lows, unfortunately. But I think overall its been good and I think its a good starting point is probably the best way to sum it up. TSN.ca: Youre not going to get to 200 innings but youre effectively knocking on that door the first year off of Tommy John. How has your arm held up over the course of the year? Youve had some time now to look back. Were there periods when youve felt better at times than others? HUTCHISON: Yeah, I think that goes for every year though even if youre not really coming off injuries. Every pitcher goes through that every year. I felt good all year and I felt healthy and strong all year. I think I had to get over little a bit of a hump in the middle of the year and then after I did that I felt Ive gotten stronger as weve gotten to the end here and I feel good and I think thats just a byproduct of pitching and going 100 and however many innings Im going to end up with. I think thats just the normal ebbs and flows of the year. TSN.ca: Its funny, talked to Mark Buehrle yesterday and he said the same thing and hes so much further along in his career than you. Can you describe what thats like? I mean, its not so much pain or anything but when you have so-called "dead arm" or youre going through a tired phase, what does that feel like or what does that result in? HUTCHISON: I mean, you talk to any pitcher when they take the mound theyre not always going to feel great, 100-percent, every part of their body. Its just how it is. This season is a long grind and you do everything you can to take care of your body and put yourself in the best position that you can. Thats just part of the long season. Thats just the way it goes. Whatever you have that night you have and you go out there and give it all you have with what youve got. Thats not pain; thats not being hurt; thats none of that. Thats just pitching. TSN.ca: Youre striking out about 23-percent of the hitters you face. I think youre Top-20, averaging a little more than 8.8 hitters struck out per nine innings. Are you more of a strikeout pitcher than maybe you thought you would have been when you broke into the big leagues? HUTCHISON: No. I mean Ive always been able to strike out hitters because I feel like I have good fastball command and if you get ahead of hitters then youve earned the right to put them away and thats the way Ive always approached it. Ive always been able to strike out guys through the minor leagues. I had really good command in the minor leagues so I guess sometimes when you have good command youre not really associated with overpowering stuff or striking guys out just because of that. But I think thats just a byproduct of commanding the baseball and when you get ahead of guys youre able to put them away. TSN.ca: The slider too is a huge pitch for you. I mean, you were getting, I think, some pretty nice comparisons from outside observers with that pitch. HUTCHISON: Yeah, I think its come a long way, especially since I got called up in 2012. It was probably the pitch I was working on the most at the time. Where its come, even throughout the season, Im real happy with what Ive able to do with it with Pete, you know the work weve put in with it to get it consistent and throwing it to both sides of the plate, which Ive been able to do here recently I think has been part of the reason Ive had so many strikeouts. I think thats big a pitch for me to continue to develop that and continue to get better with all my pitches. My fastball command this year, its been good but it hasnt really been to my standards of it. There have been times where Ive had some bad games when Ive struggled because of the command of my fastball. My command, I take a lot of pride in that so thats been a little bit frustrating to not have that to my standards as much but its something Im looking forward to improving. TSN.ca: On a positive note, which start and there have been a few but which start stands out to you as maybe your favourite looking back on the season? HUTCHISON: Chicago. No doubt. TSN.ca: Thats interesting because in my head Im thinking Arlington, where you stare down Yu Darvish and you outpitch him. I think it was a two-hit shutout. But Chicago, if you remember that, the tough first inning and then you hung in. HUTCHISON: Yeah, I threw 50-something pitches in the first inning and still went seven. I think thats what pitchings all about to me because as a starting pitcher your job is to go deep and give your team a chance to win. So to be able to go back out there and continue to pitch and get through seven innings given the way I came out and the way I started, we did have a chance to win the game. In spite of all that our offence came back and battled. We didnt win the game but at the same time to still have the faith from your manager and your teammates out there to stay out there and keep it right there for them, I take pride in those type of starts because I think thats when you show what youre really made of. TSN.ca: Are you any sort of a believer in momentum because I think that Chicago start, the first inning of that Chicago start, was really the last time you struggled quite badly? Youve had a really nice run since that time. HUTCHISON: Yeah, I mean, I was throwing the ball well I felt like going into that and I made a couple of bad pitches. I walked a couple of guys and then gave up a grand slam and then gave up another home run in that inning. Thats whats frustrating about that start, when you look back on it, after the grand slam, you get out of it and we win that game. Instead of being able to bear down I gave up another one in that inning. It was very similar to my start against the Orioles, you know a couple of bad pitches. I guess that can kind of some up my season at some points is dominatingly brutal at times where, you know, you have a good run but you make a couple of bad pitches and you pay for it and thats what happens at this level. TSN.ca: Theres a lot of talk about how hard it is and I think that there is proof, given that this team hasnt signed a high profile pitching free agent since A.J. Burnett, about how hard it is to lure free agent pitchers to Toronto because of the homerdome. How difficult is it to pitch in this park compared to some of the other places you go to? HUTCHISON: I mean, it is what it is. I like pitching here. I know a lot was made of my home-road splits early in the year and if you look at them now it kind of tells the story. People get caught up in that and sometimes they shouldnt. It is what it is. We play in the AL East, a lot of big hitters and a lot of small ballparks. Its just what it is. Its a challenge and thats whats fun about it is to face some of the best hitters and not have a lot of margin for error. TSN.ca: When you look ahead, yourself, Marcus (Stroman), Aaron Sanchez, Daniel Norris is knocking on the door, there may be a surprise or two coming along down the pipe as well, I mean is this an exciting time in your mind for this franchise with the number of good, quality young arms that you would hope are going to be able to carry this franchise for years to come? HUTCHISON: Yeah I hope so. Obviously to be mentioned as part of that, its exciting. At the same time, this year, its disappointing to be where we were and the opportunity that we had and then ultimately to have what happened happen, its disappointing. I take ownership in that along with everyone else. You never want to chalk things up to experience because Im not a believer in just going out there and getting experience and looking toward the future because its about winning and its about getting the job done now but as you look toward the future it is exciting. TSN.ca: Weve talked before. Youre kind of a no-nonsense guy. You dont like excuses. How hard are you on yourself after a tough outing? How able are you to just sort of sluff it off and look ahead to five days later? HUTCHISON: I have my process. Just like a good start or a bad start, you dont get obsessed with a great start and you dont get obsessed with a terrible start, both ways, whichever way it happens to be going for you at that time. You stick to your process and what you need to do to get prepared for your next one because you learn from your previous one, good and bad. I have the standard that I set for myself. Whether people want to say Im too hard on myself or too easy on myself, thats not really relevant to me. I want to win and thats what its about so I do everything I can to go out there and give us the best chance to win every time I take the ball and it sounds cliché and it sounds all that but really thats what its about, to be able to look yourself in the mirror and know youve done everything you can to give your team a chance. TSN.ca: Im probably asking you an impossible question because I think Im going to ask you to talk about yourself in a way that you just naturally are. But there are some guys who get so deep into their own heads that they cant come out of it or it eats them up. Youre still so young in this game. Is that a product of the way you were raised, the experiences that you had coming up through the sport? To what do you attribute just your ability at such a young age to just kind of deal with it? HUTCHISON: The things you mentioned, I think its a little bit of all of that. Naturally you are who you are and you cant be anybody else. Im a big believer in you have to be yourself in order to be successful. Definitely part of it could be the way that I was raised or the way Ive come up through baseball with other guys Ive played with or whatever have it be, you know its just me. To be successful I have to do that. As you talk about team and winning I think thats everybody. You have to be yourself within the confines of the team and its just the way I am. TSN.ca: How close is this team to being a legit contender in the American League East? HUTCHISON: I think we showed it earlier in the year. Unfortunately we had injuries, just like everybody else had injuries, thats never an excuse you know, you have to step up and get over injuries and things like that. We had a real chance this year and I think we showed the type of team we are and unfortunately we just didnt get the job done. I think its pretty much that simple. Thats on me and every other guy in here and its on us going forward to not let that happen again. TSN.ca: Thanks so much, Drew, appreciate it. HUTCHISON: No problem. Custom Washington Nationals Nike Jerseys . Justine finished first with a score of 22.44 while Chloe was second with 21.66 points. Defending champion Hannah Kearney of the U.S., was third at 21.49. A third Dufour-Lapointe sister, Maxime, failed to make the final group and finished 12th while Audrey Robichaud of Quebec City was 10th. Custom Atlanta Braves Nike Jerseys .Y. - OK, it is done.EDMONTON -- The Edmonton Oilers seem to have solved their problems in net and have been getting some positive results because of it. Jordan Eberle had a pair of goals and an assist and Viktor Fasth made 28 saves as the Oilers continued to put crimps in other teams playoff plans, coming away with a 5-1 victory over the Nashville Predators on Tuesday. Sam Gagner, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Taylor Hall also scored for the Oilers (25-36-9), who have won two in a row and gone 10-4-3 in their past 17 games, and at least temporarily moved past Florida into third-last in the NHL. Much of the progress the Oilers have made of late has been since trading Devan Dubnyk and Ilya Bryzgalov away and bringing in Fasth and Ben Scrivens. "There are no soft goals with them," Hall said. "Im sure everyone around the room will tell you. You just play with more confidence. You arent afraid to make that little play that could turn into a big offensive chance when you know that you have guys like Viktor and Ben back there. It is a huge boost going into games knowing that we are going to give up chances, but we have good goalies in net." Oilers head coach Dallas Eakins said his new goaltending tandem has made an immediate impact. "Its been perfect," he said. "The great thing is I think they have become friends right away and are helping and supporting each other, which is so important. There is competition going on at the same time. The better the one plays spurs on the other and they are just going to keep pulling each other to the top. Our goaltending has just been fabulous." Gabriel Bourque replied for the Predators (29-30-10) who have lost two in a row and are in serious jeopardy of missing the playoffs for the second year in a row as they are nine points out of the last post-season berth in the West with just 13 games remaining on the schedule. "It wasnt a good effort, we didnt do too many good things out there, we turned the puck over," said Nashville assistant captain Mike Fisher. "We didnt do too many good things defensively and they buried them when they got chances. They played pretty well." Predators head coach Barry Trotz said it was not the kind of effort his team can afford to have right now. "I just thought that we didnt have enough urgency from enough guys and we need guys to step up," he said. "I thought our best players were some of our young guys. We have to give our goalie some run support, we have to be better defensively than that and our special teams have to be at least even every night." Nashville goalie Pekka Rinne allowed five goals on 26 shots and was pulled midway through the third period. "It was obviously not the best game for myself," he said. "Im disappointed for sure. Its the way it goes I guess once in a while, but its not acceptable. Its a little bit embarrassing too, but its over with now." The game started on a rough note just 48 seconds in as Predators defenceman Ryan Ellis pasted Eberle into the boards on a cross-check from behind, igniting a scrum. The Predators came close with five minutes remaining in the first period as they took a bit of a surprise shot on Oilers goalie Viktor Fasth that he got a piece of with his glove before looking like an offensive lineman and preventing Patric Hornqvist from getting to the rebound in the crease. Edmonton broke the scoreless deadloock with 35 seconds left in the opening frame as the rebound from a Martin Marincin point shot came to Gagner in the blue paint and he hooked a backhand shot past Predators goalie Pekka Rinne. Fake Custom Nike Baseball Jerseys. It was just Gagners eighth goal of the season. The Preds came close to tying the game four minutes into the second, but a Nick Spaling shot rang off the post. Edmonton made it a 2-0 game eight minutes into the second as Eberle made a long cross-ice pass through traffic on the power play to Nugent-Hopkins, who wrested a shot that went off the tip of Rinnes glove and in. It was the 16th goal of the season for Nugent-Hopkins, breaking a 15-game scoreless drought. The Oilers took a three-goal lead on a bit of an unusual play with five minutes left in the second period as Hall took a backhand golf swing of a shot that found the top corner and quickly exited the net. Play continued for 1:17 before the Oilers took a penalty and they were able to review the shot and determine it was a goal. "I thought I saw the net bulge," Hall said. "The ref was standing right there with a really good vantage point and I thought if it was in that he would have seen it. It was a weird shift keeping going after that when you think you have scored and you are just hoping for a whistle to blow to see if you have a goal or not." Nashville got on the board with 1:21 remaining in the second as Hornqvist took the puck behind the net before hooking it in front to Bourque, who sent a shot through traffic to beat Fasth. Edmonton made it 4-1 eight-and-a-half minutes into the third period with another power-play goal. Anton Lander picked up his first point of the season on a nice feed to Eberle at the side of the net as he lifted a backhand shot that ticked off of Rinne and in. Eberle scored his second goal of the game just 1:23 later, breaking into the Nashville zone with speed and scoring his 23rd of the season on a low backhand shot. "We have been trying to get some confidence in little things and tonight we started to bear down and found some ways to score, especially on the power play," Eberle said. "It definitely gives you some confidence and it was nice to get out of the hole there." Rinne was replaced by backup Carter Hutton for the remainder of the game. The Predators play the second match of their four-game road trip in Vancouver on Wednesday night. The Oilers welcome the Buffalo Sabres for the second game of their six-game homestand on Thursday. Notes: It was the third and final meeting of the season between Edmonton and Nashville. The Oilers also won the two previous games by a combined score of 8-1a Including the Nashville game, 10 of Edmontons final 13 games are at homea Edmonton goalie Viktor Fasth made his home debut in net for the Oilers after being acquired the day before the trade deadline from the Anaheim Ducksa Predators defenceman Roman Josi entered the game with four assists in his previous three games. ... Nashville had no reported injuries for the gamea Edmonton forward Jesse Joensuu (ankle) is likely out for the remainder of the season, as is defenceman Anton Belov (partially torn oblique)a Edmonton forward Nail Yakupov was a late scratch with an ankle problem after taking the pre-game skate. The Oilers dressed seven defencemen in his absencea Oiler forward Matt Hendricks left the game with a leg injury after blocking a Shea Weber shot and did not return. ' ' '
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