Warning: Story contains coarse language
It took 97 pitches for Toronto Blue Jays starter Aaron Sanchez to get through four innings against the Oakland Athletics on Thursday night. He allowed four earned runs on five hits while issuing four walks before getting the hook in the eventual 10-5 loss.
A silver lining for Sanchez may be the fact he matched a season-high eight strikeouts while inducing 18 swinging strikes, eight of which came on his changeup. It wasn't enough for Sanchez, however.
"I don't give a shit. I want to fucking win," Sanchez said, according to The Athletic's John Lott.
Sanchez says he's still working on getting his feel for pitching back to normal after throwing only 36 innings in all of 2017 due to a series of blisters.
"I missed a year. It’s a long time. I hate to use excuses, but I’m still trying to get my feet underneath me," he said.
Through nine starts, Sanchez owns a 4.47 ERA with 40 strikeouts over 50 1/3 innings. It has been the definition of a mixed bag. He carried a no-hitter late into his third start of the season, eventually allowing three hits over eight innings against the Baltimore Orioles. That was during a stretch across which Sanchez finished at least six innings in five consecutive starts to round out the season's opening month.
May hasn't been as kind to the right-hander: He's 0-2 over his three starts with a 5.68 ERA. His strikeout numbers are up, but so are his walks. He's issued 11 free passes over his last 12 2/3 innings and has the third highest BB/9 (5.19) in the majors this season.
“I’m in a spot where I’m grinding,” he said.
His next scheduled start is Wednesday, May 23, when the Los Angeles Angels travel to Rogers Centre.
