• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Cleveland Daily

Cleveland Sports News, Rumors & Highlights

  • Home
  • Guardians News
  • Cavs News
  • Browns News
  • Newsletter
  • Contact
  • About

3 Simple Goals For Indians Starter Triston McKenzie

By Steven Kubitza July 9, 2021 @kubitzawrites

Starting pitcher Triston McKenzie #24 of the Cleveland Indians pitches to Tim Anderson #7 of the Chicago White Sox during the first inning of the first game of a doubleheader at Progressive Field on May 31, 2021 in Cleveland, Ohio.
(Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)

 

Triston McKenzie is back on the mound for the Cleveland Indians on Friday as he looks to keep the magic going following Thursday’s walk-off win.

Franmil Reyes was the hero Thursday in a game that saw Zach Plesac make his long-awaited return to the rotation.

McKenzie is also making his own return, even though it has nothing to do with any injury-related absence.

He was just struggling.

The lanky right-hander last pitched June 12 before finally getting some time to work on his game in the minors.

Friday marks his return and we identified three simple goals for him to attain against the Kansas City Royals and in general moving forward.

Triston McKenzie will be promoted from Triple-A to start for the Indians tomorrow.

— Zack Meisel (@ZackMeisel) July 8, 2021

 

3. Fewer Than 4 Walks

Allowing free passes has been one of McKenzie’s biggest problems all season.

He has walked 39 batters in 42.1 innings and is averaging nearly four per start.

The worst start of his season came on May 21 in a 10-0 blowout loss against the Minnesota Twins.

McKenzie only lasted 3.1 innings in the game.

While he only allowed two hits, six runs came around to score on his watch after he walked five Twins batters.

The front office planned for McKenzie to go spend time in Columbus, but that did not happen until June because he was kept with the club out of necessity.

Focusing on pounding the strike zone is the key for him Friday.

Letting batters put the ball in play is better than giving them a base without even needing to swing the bat.

 

2. Reach 90 Pitches

McKenzie is already stretched out as a starter this year.

However, he has only reached the 90-pitch mark on two occasions.

Him reaching this mark ultimately depends on if he can limit the walks and not give Terry Francona a reason to give a quick hook.

McKenzie’s season-high of 92 pitches actually came against the Royals back on May 6.

While he did allow his usual four walks, he did not let a run score in five innings on the mound.

 

1. Reach The 6th Inning

#Indians LHP Sam Hentges optioned to Triple-A to make room for Triston McKenzie, who starts game 2 with #Royals tonight

— Daryl Ruiter (@RuiterWrongFAN) July 9, 2021

We end with another goal that ties into the others.

McKenzie has lasted at least five innings in four separate starts this year.

Reaching the sixth inning as a goal sets the Indians up for success because it means something is going right in order to leave him out there that long.

And in general, it gives the bullpen a break as they continue to deal with a young starting rotation.

Fans must remember McKenzie remains a key building block for the future.

A few bad starts will not change that.

But it would still be nice to see him perform well before the deadline and establish a permanent role in the rotation at a time when playoff hopes are still alive.

    Get ALL the latest Cleveland sports news straight to your inbox! Subscribe to the Cleveland daily newsletter here!    

Filed Under: Cleveland Guardians Rumors And News (Updated Daily), Cleveland Indians News And Rumors (Updated Daily) Tagged With: cleveland indians, Triston McKenzie

About Steven Kubitza

Steven has been an Indians fan since the day he was born. Lucky enough to not remember the World Series losses in the 90s, he will never forget the magic and the heartbreak of Game 7 in 2016. He wore the No. 13 playing baseball growing up because of Omar and still rocks a Cody Allen jersey for good luck.

Reader Interactions

Follow Cleveland Daily!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

More Cleveland Indians,Triston McKenzie News

Cleveland Indians owner Paul Dolan addresses the crowd prior to the Opening Day Major League Baseball game between the Chicago White Sox and Cleveland Indians on April 11, 2017, at Progressive Field in Cleveland, OH. Cleveland defeated Chicago 2-1 in ten innings.

Should Paul Dolan Sell The Cleveland Indians?

2 years ago

Cleveland Indians first baseman Carlos Santana (41) singles to drive in a run during the first inning of the Major League Baseball interleague game between the Philidelphia Phillies and Cleveland Indians on September 21, 2019, at Progressive Field in Cleveland, OH.

Carlos Santana, Kansas City Royals Reach 2-Year Deal

2 years ago

Cleveland Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor (12) on the field during the seventh inning of the Major League Baseball interleague game between the Philidelphia Phillies and Cleveland Indians on September 20, 2019, at Progressive Field in Cleveland, OH.

Report: Indians To 'Aggressively' Listen To Offers For Francisco Lindor

2 years ago

A general view of Progressive Field during the Cleveland Indians Summer Camp in preparation for a shortened MLB season during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on July 19, 2020, at Progressive Field in Cleveland, OH.

Cleveland Indians Draft Trevor Stephan In Rule 5 Draft

2 years ago

Cleveland Indians third baseman Jose Ramirez (11) celebrates as he rounds the bases after hitting a home run during the second inning of the Major League Baseball game between the Texas Rangers and Cleveland Indians on August 7, 2019, at Progressive Field in Cleveland, OH.

Shane Bieber, Jose Ramirez, Brad Hand Named To All-MLB team

2 years ago

A general view of the Progressive Field scoreboard during the Cleveland Indians Summer Camp in preparation for a shortened MLB season during the coronavirus

Cleveland Indians Top 3 Prospects Of 2021

2 years ago

Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Shane Bieber (57) delivers a pitch to the plate during the ninth inning of the Major League Baseball game between the Los Angeles Angels and Cleveland Indians on August 4, 2019, at Progressive Field in Cleveland, OH.

Top 3 Cornerstone Cleveland Indians Players Of The Future

2 years ago

Cleveland Indians pitcher Jefry Rodriguez (68) delivers a pitch to the plate during the fourth inning of the Major League Baseball game between the Oakland Athletics and Cleveland Indians on May 22, 2019, at Progressive Field in Cleveland, OH.

Cleveland Indians Parts Ways With Pitcher Jefry Rodriguez

2 years ago

Cleveland Indians center fielder Oscar Mercado (35) motions towards the Indians dugout as he rounds the bases after hitting a home run during the first inning of the Major League Baseball game between the Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Indians on September 17, 2019, at Progressive Field in Cleveland, OH.

2 Indians Players Who Could Have Breakout Seasons In 2021

2 years ago

Cleveland Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor (12) on the field during the ninth inning of a game against the Los Angeles Angels played on September 9, 2019 at Angel Stadium of Anaheim in Anaheim, CA.

2 Prospects The Indians Must Get From Mets In Lindor Trade

2 years ago

Cleveland Indians left fielder Jordan Luplow (8) is congratulated by Cleveland Indians catcher Roberto Perez (55) after scoring a run during the third inning of the Major League Baseball game between the Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Indians on July 16, 2019, at Progressive Field in Cleveland, OH.

3 Indians Players With Something To Prove In 2021

2 years ago

Cleveland Indians manager Terry Francona (77) looks to the dugout as he makes a pitching change after Cleveland Indians pitcher Hunter Wood (54) hit by a ball off the bat of Boston Red Sox first baseman Mitch Moreland (18) during the sixth inning of the Major League Baseball game between the Boston Red Sox and Cleveland Indians on August 12, 2019, at Progressive Field in Cleveland, OH.

Is It Time For The Indians To Begin Rebuilding For The Future?

2 years ago

Cleveland Indians outfielder Oscar Mercado (35) is congratulated in the dugout after scoring a run during the seventh inning of the Major League Baseball game between the Minnesota Twins and Cleveland Indians on September 15, 2019, at Progressive Field in Cleveland, OH.

3 Bold Predictions For The Cleveland Indians In 2021

2 years ago

indians logo

3 Indians Players To Watch During Spring Training

2 years ago

Cleveland Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor (12) in the dugout after scoring on a Yasiel Puig (66) single in the first inning of a game against the Los Angeles Angels played on September 9, 2019 at Angel Stadium of Anaheim in Anaheim, CA.

Who Will Replace Francisco Lindor At Shortstop For The Indians?

2 years ago

A Realistic 2021 Plan For Indians Prospect Nolan Jones

2 years ago

Cleveland Indians designated hitter Francisco Lindor (12) hits a solo home run during a Major League Baseball game between the Cleveland Indians and the Kansas City Royals on July 27, 2019, at Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City, MO.

Grading The Cleveland Indians Francisco Lindor Trade

2 years ago

cleveland indians fireworks

3 Reasons To Believe In The Indians In 2021

2 years ago

progressive field

A Look At The Top 3 Indians Prospects In Their System

2 years ago

indians logo

Cleveland Indians Sign Billy Hamilton And Ben Gamel

2 years ago

Cleveland Indians third baseman Jose Ramirez (11) before an MLB game between the Cleveland Indians and Kansas City Royals on September 1, 2020 at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, MO.

3 Trade Possibilities If The Indians Deal Jose Ramirez

2 years ago

Mitch Moreland (18) of the Red Sox waits on deck during the MLB regular season game between the Boston Red Sox and the Tampa Bay Rays on April 21, 2019, at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, FL.

Should The Indians Pursue Mitch Moreland In 2021?

2 years ago

Indians flag

3 Potential Free Agent Targets For The Indians

2 years ago

Phillies RP Blake Parker (53) pitches in the fifth inning during the game between the Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies on August 30, 2020 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, PA.

Reliever Blake Parker Gets Chance With Indians In 2021

2 years ago

Primary Sidebar

Search Cleveland Daily

Follow Cleveland Daily!

Footer

Privacy Policy

Terms And Conditions

Contact Us

Copyright © 2023 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED - ClevelandDaily.com is not affiliated with the Cleveland Indians or Major League Baseball.