JR Ritchie yielded one run in 4 1/3 innings Wednesday against the Cubs.
AI Summary
JR Ritchie pitched 4 1/3 innings against the Cubs, allowing one run on 83 pitches while significantly increasing his slider usage.
Ritchie departed with a 1-0 lead in the fifth after allowing a leadoff single and then a walk with one out. Tyler Kinley replaced him and immediately gave up a game-tying single. Ritchie, of course, was ineligible for the win anyway, since he didn't finish five. Ritchie really upped his slider usage tonight, using it 20 times int he 83-pitch outing. That's four times as often as he'd used it previously this season. He got just one whiff with it, but all four times it was put in play produced soft contact. Through four starts, Ritchie is 1-0 with a 3.32 ERA and a 17/15 K/BB in 21 2/3 innings. He's due for starts against the Marlins and Nationals next week, making him an intriguing streaming option.