On Saturday playing for the Gwinnett Stripers at Coolray Field in Lawrenceville, Mike Foltynewicz didn’t waste any time in between pitches, but when he had to take a break to gather himself, he did. It paid off for him.
The 28-year-old Braves pitcher knew he was sent to Gwinnett on June 23 for a reason, and he fully intended on making this a short trip. When the Stripers played host to the Indianapolis Indians, there was a sliver of his old self. He finished the game where the Gwinnett Stripers beat the Indianapolis Indians 5-2 credited with a win. He pitched 7-2/3 innings and had eight strikeouts allowing two runs on five hits.
“Tonight was a great step,” Foltynewicz said. “It was a huge step … I was just a little more relaxed, for some reason. I know that’s why you’re down here, because the pressure is a little bit off you, sometimes.”
Known for being a player who isn’t afraid to show his emotions, Foltynewicz was, for the most part, rather calm on the mound. He was quick and methodical with each pitch, not wasting much time in between.
Foltynewicz said it was a humbling experience for him to come to Gwinnett and take a step back. He missed the first 25 games of the season with a bone spur in his right elbow. He admitted there was a pressure for him to come back from injury and succeed. Now, he’s given a chance to relax. That all kind of played out for him in Saturday’s game.
When he struggled, he said he had to remind himself to slow down. He mentioned that he needed to take a moment to look at the tattoo of a jet on his finger, a reference to his son, Jett. From there, he’s able to slow down, relax and take a step off the mound before approaching the next pitch.
A crucial moment for Foltynewicz came in the eighth inning when a borderline call resulted in a ball rather than a strike. It would’ve resulted in another strikeout had it gone his way, but it didn’t.
He was visibly frustrated, but he didn’t let it get to him. He settled in and struck out the next two batters to get out of the jam before he exited the game.
“Huge,” Foltynewicz said. “In (2018), that’s when I really step off the mound, concentrate and get those big outs. You get a call like that, I get a little emotional. I know I’m down here just to work on stuff, but its competition. I got a little mad at myself, but at the same time, I didn’t want to give him anything to hit.”
Stripers manager Damon Berryhill elected not to pull Foltynewicz in that situation. He wanted to see how he would respond, and afterwards, was obviously pleased.
“That’s a situation where you’re going to have to battle out of,” Berryhill said. “It’s points in the ballgame where you’re going to have come up big for your club, and he did.”
Foltynewicz’s command and control were improved. His placement regularly made opposing batters end up flying out or grounding out, while still showing off his ability to strike players out. His slider connected often and the hits he gave up weren’t particularly damaging.
Foltynewicz estimated about 85 to 90 percent of his sliders were good ones. He said he’s working on being more cautious with his slider, burying it more instead of leaving it hanging over the plate for opposing batters. He mentioned his changeup as another pitch he’s planning on improving while he’s in Gwinnett.
After the game, Foltynewicz seemed optimistic. He seemed almost relieved. His confidence was boosted. He mentioned a conversation with the Braves management about him being sent down and what the plan is, which looks positive after Saturday’s game.
“It was a good start tonight,” Foltynewicz said. “Maybe just one or two games, something clicks … and we go from there.”
