The Jury Is Still Out

If there is any adage that's appropriate here it is this: It's not how you start, but how you finish. And while going 5 innings might not classify as "finishing" it appeared for awhile that Jason Schmidt might not clear the first inning. Shocking when you throw 84mph fastballs right over the plate to big league hitters.

With the defense offering no favors for Schmidt in the top half of the first (including a pathetic attempt by Manny Ramirez on a foul ball, and Andre Ethier thinking fly balls have cooties) the offense more than atoned for those sins in bottom of the frame, giving Schmidt the lead before he returned to the mound for the second inning. A lead he, and the Dodgers, would never relinquish.

Sure Schmidt proceeded to pitch four more innings of one hit ball, but it certainly wasn't due to his dominating stuff. With a fastball residing in the mid eighties it's not surprising that of the 90 pitches Jason Schmidt made tonight only three (three!) of them were swung on and missed. His velocity trailed off as the game wore on, and he had a difficult time locating his pitches, which is EXACTLY what a pitcher who throws in the low to mid eighties needs to do in order to succeed.

It's important to not be too critical, or heap on too much praise, after Schmidt's first outing in almost 800 days. With a few breaks here or there Schmidt might have hurled five innings of one run ball. On the other hand however, Schmidt was clearly not dominating, and was very lucky the Reds didn't capitalize further. Until the next start, the jury is hung.

Photo Courtesy AP/Gus Ruelas