ANAHEIM, Calif. — After earning a spot in the Oakland Athletics’ rotation last year, right-hander Sonny Gray is making a bid to become one of the American League’s best pitchers.
Gray leads the major leagues with a 1.60 ERA after dominating the Los Angeles Angels in an 8-1 victory Sunday. The right-hander scattered five hits while not permitting a walk or an earned run in 7 1/3 innings, and finished with nine strikeouts in earning his eighth victory.
“I threw my fastball where I wanted,” Gray said. “You have coaches from when you’re so young preach fastball location. I feel like that’s where I’ve been a lot better, so far. I’m throwing a lot more strikes.”
The Tennessee native began Sunday’s game by retiring the first nine Angels he faced and ended his day by retiring 11 of the final 14 batters he confronted.
“He throws a 95 mph fastball that cuts and sinks,” Los Angeles catcher Chris Iannetta said. “He’s also got a great curve that’s really hard and he’s got a slider that also looks like a splitter, sometimes.”
Intelligence accentuates Gray’s repertoire.
“Man, he’s smart,” A’s catcher Stephen Vogt said. “You can just see the wheels turning. He knows what he’s doing and he knows what he wants to do.”
As a result, Gray is a different pitcher who did not get his eighth win last year until July 8 before finishing with a 14-10 record and a 3.08 ERA.
“As good as he his, he continues to get better,” A’s manager Bob Melvin said. “What we’ve seen this year, more than in the past, is the ability to throw strikes whenever he wants with all his pitches.”
Iannetta offers more succinct praise.
“He’s one of the best in the game,” Angels catcher Chris Iannetta said. “I don’t think he gets enough notoriety for how good he really is.”