Boyd Takes Step In Right Direction In First Start In Triple-A
By: Will Burchfield
@burchie_kid
Matt Boyd was adamant that he would turn things around in Triple-A Toledo. He vowed to "get right."
He took a step in that direction in his first start with the MudHens on Tuesday night.
Boyd pitched into the seventh inning and departed having allowed one run. He left three men on base, two of whom came around to score, but his final line was still positive: 6 1/3 innings, five hits, three earned runs, four walks and five strikeouts.
The left-hander threw 103 pitches, 59 for strikes.
"I got swings and misses on all my pitches today. Slider was good, curveball was good, changeup was good," Boyd told MLB.com.
Boyd started the season strong for the Tigers but hit a serious rough patch in the middle of May. In his last four starts prior to being demoted, he allowed a 10.13 ERA and a .444 batting average against.
"I haven't been right the last few starts," he acknowledged on Friday. "I'm gonna get back to doing what I did earlier this year, doing what I did in the spring."
He appeared to do that on Tuesday.
"Got back to attacking guys, stayed in my delivery, used all my pitches," he said.
Boyd's outing included three 1-2-3 innings. The only run he allowed prior to the seventh came on a homer.
"I'm just grateful every time I get the ball," he said. "It felt good to get back into my swing of things and throw the ball with confidence."
It remains to be seen how long Boyd remains in Toledo. The Tigers' timetable for him isn't totally clear.
"They told me it's up to me," Boyd said. "I'm gonna get right as soon as I can."
The Tigers have yet to announce who will pitch for Boyd on Wednesday versus the Angels. All signs point to MudHens' right-hander Buck Farmer.
