Ex-Mustang Spencer Howard Earns First Major League Victory
8/31/2020 11:07:00 PM | Baseball
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. -- Former Cal Poly right-hander Spencer Howard earned his first Major League victory Monday night for the Philadelphia Phillies.
The Templeton High School graduate allowed two runs and five hits over five innings as the Phillies jumped to a 6-0 lead and held on for an 8-6 win over the defending World Series champion Washington Nationals at Citizens Bank Park.
Howard (1-1), pitching for the first time in 11 days -- his start was pushed back four days when the Phillies elected not to play last Thursday to protest the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisc. -- struck out the first four batters he faced and walked two, throwing 90 pitches, in his fourth Major League start.
The Phillies, 15-15 and tied for second place with the Miami Marlins in the NL East, are seeking their first playoff berth since 2011.
"It's exciting," Howard said. "I like pitching in games that feel like they matter more. Games late in the season, playoffs, and all of that stuff is pretty fun. So I'm excited to get there and see what the atmosphere is like."
For the season, Howard has a 5.40 ERA with 15 strikeouts over 16 2/3 innings. He tossed four scoreless frames before Juan Soto hit a two-run home run with one out in the fifth frame for Washington. Howard has worked his way into the Phillies' rotation as the No. 5 starter.
"It's been a while since he pitched," said Phillies first baseman Rhys Hoskins. "He'd probably tell you that there was a little bit of nerves, a little anxious the first couple starts. But I think you could tell today that he was a little more settled in. He left the stuff do the talking, right? Especially the first inning, striking the side out against three really good hitters. It was like, 'OK, here we go. I can pitch here. I belong here.' That goes a long way. ... We're going to ask him to pitch in some big games and we have nothing but confidence in him."
The Brewers scored a run later in the inning to edge the Pirates 6-5 at Miller Park. Mathias finished the game in right field.
Mathias is 10-for-32 for the season with three doubles, four RBIs, two runs scored and one stolen base. He has gone 2-for-4 three times in his young Major League career, contributing a two-run double in Friday's 9-1 win over Pittsburgh.
Mathias was called up by the Brewers on August 3 and, after he was used as a pinch-runner the next day, produced a single in his first Major League at-bat August 5, sparking a career-opening four-game hitting streak.
He played six games with four starts, all in the outfield, and went 5-for-16 (.313) before he was sent back to the Brewers' alternate training site in Appleton, Wisc., on August 11. Mathias was recalled August 20, replacing former all-star pitcher Corey Knebel (strained left hamstring) on the roster.
When Major League teams announced their 60-man rosters in late June -- 30 on the playing roster and 30 more for alternate training sites -- five former Mustangs were selected.
In addition to Howard and Mathias, right-handed pitcher Bud Norris, who signed a free agent contract with the Philadelphia Phillies in January, was in the club's Player Pool.
Former Mustang first baseman/designated hitter Brian Mundell was in the Player Pool of the Colorado Rockies and outfielder Mitch Haniger was getting ready for his fourth season with the Seattle Mariners.
Haniger was placed on the 45-day injured list when the Mariners announced their 60-man player pool on June 28. He was initially injured in a game against Houston in June 2019, when he fouled a pitch off himself, which resulted in a ruptured testicle and led to surgery. His attempts to return to the field in August were shut down by subsequent back issues.
He was on track to return to spring training in 2020 at full strength, with his offseason program progressing well, but a setback in January led to two more surgeries within a three-week span before the Mariners opened camp.
Mundell announced his retirement from baseball on July 20 and was placed on the restricted list while Norris was released by the Phillies on July 16. Norris allowed four earned runs in the four Grapefruit League frames he threw this spring.
Photo courtesy of Yong Kim | The Philadelphia Inquirer; Video courtesy of NBC Sports Philadelphia
The Templeton High School graduate allowed two runs and five hits over five innings as the Phillies jumped to a 6-0 lead and held on for an 8-6 win over the defending World Series champion Washington Nationals at Citizens Bank Park.
Howard (1-1), pitching for the first time in 11 days -- his start was pushed back four days when the Phillies elected not to play last Thursday to protest the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisc. -- struck out the first four batters he faced and walked two, throwing 90 pitches, in his fourth Major League start.
The Phillies, 15-15 and tied for second place with the Miami Marlins in the NL East, are seeking their first playoff berth since 2011.
"It's exciting," Howard said. "I like pitching in games that feel like they matter more. Games late in the season, playoffs, and all of that stuff is pretty fun. So I'm excited to get there and see what the atmosphere is like."
For the season, Howard has a 5.40 ERA with 15 strikeouts over 16 2/3 innings. He tossed four scoreless frames before Juan Soto hit a two-run home run with one out in the fifth frame for Washington. Howard has worked his way into the Phillies' rotation as the No. 5 starter.
"It's been a while since he pitched," said Phillies first baseman Rhys Hoskins. "He'd probably tell you that there was a little bit of nerves, a little anxious the first couple starts. But I think you could tell today that he was a little more settled in. He left the stuff do the talking, right? Especially the first inning, striking the side out against three really good hitters. It was like, 'OK, here we go. I can pitch here. I belong here.' That goes a long way. ... We're going to ask him to pitch in some big games and we have nothing but confidence in him."
Howard leaned heavily on his four-seam fastball and slider in his first three outings, throwing those pitches a combined 80.2 percent of the time. On Monday, he mixed his fastball (52 percent), slider (21 percent), changeup (20 percent) and curveball (8 percent) more effectively.
It caught Joe Girardi's eye.
"I saw his whole repertoire," the manager told MLB.com. "He was not using it [before]. It's not unusual for a young player not be comfortable right away and to kind of feel your way through some starts. I remember as a catcher. It's nerve wracking. It's hard when you're out there and ... you're trying to establish yourself. I hope today is just a big step for him, that he understands that he can really compete at this level and he can use all his pitches and have success."
Howard is scheduled to make his next start Saturday at Citi Field against the New York Mets.
The Brewers scored a run later in the inning to edge the Pirates 6-5 at Miller Park. Mathias finished the game in right field.
Mathias is 10-for-32 for the season with three doubles, four RBIs, two runs scored and one stolen base. He has gone 2-for-4 three times in his young Major League career, contributing a two-run double in Friday's 9-1 win over Pittsburgh.
Mathias was called up by the Brewers on August 3 and, after he was used as a pinch-runner the next day, produced a single in his first Major League at-bat August 5, sparking a career-opening four-game hitting streak.
He played six games with four starts, all in the outfield, and went 5-for-16 (.313) before he was sent back to the Brewers' alternate training site in Appleton, Wisc., on August 11. Mathias was recalled August 20, replacing former all-star pitcher Corey Knebel (strained left hamstring) on the roster.
When Major League teams announced their 60-man rosters in late June -- 30 on the playing roster and 30 more for alternate training sites -- five former Mustangs were selected.
In addition to Howard and Mathias, right-handed pitcher Bud Norris, who signed a free agent contract with the Philadelphia Phillies in January, was in the club's Player Pool.
Former Mustang first baseman/designated hitter Brian Mundell was in the Player Pool of the Colorado Rockies and outfielder Mitch Haniger was getting ready for his fourth season with the Seattle Mariners.
Haniger was placed on the 45-day injured list when the Mariners announced their 60-man player pool on June 28. He was initially injured in a game against Houston in June 2019, when he fouled a pitch off himself, which resulted in a ruptured testicle and led to surgery. His attempts to return to the field in August were shut down by subsequent back issues.
He was on track to return to spring training in 2020 at full strength, with his offseason program progressing well, but a setback in January led to two more surgeries within a three-week span before the Mariners opened camp.
Mundell announced his retirement from baseball on July 20 and was placed on the restricted list while Norris was released by the Phillies on July 16. Norris allowed four earned runs in the four Grapefruit League frames he threw this spring.
Photo courtesy of Yong Kim | The Philadelphia Inquirer; Video courtesy of NBC Sports Philadelphia
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