Perhaps opponents are starting to figure out Trevor Richards’ changeup.
Richards, the Miami Marlins right-hander who will start against the visiting Atlanta Braves on Saturday, is holding batters to a .188 average against his lethal changeup. However, Richards has allowed four homers off his changeup in his past two starts.
Overall, Richards is 0-4 with a 4.64 ERA in six starts this season. Richards got off to a good start this season — a 2.00 ERA and 18 strikeouts in his first three starts — but he is 0-3 with 7.80 ERA in his past three starts.
In Richards’ defense, he is receiving little run support, as the Marlins totaled eight runs in his first five starts before losing 12-9 at Philadelphia in his most recent outing. It remains to be seen what he will do against the Braves, a team he has faced just once previously (0-0, 10.38 ERA).
When Richards’ changeup is good, though, it’s very good, and there’s enough credit to go around.
“It’s been a combination of coaches telling me different things,” Richards said when asked about how his changeup developed. “Then I kind of morphed it all together to what felt right for me.”
Richards’ counterpart on Saturday will be Braves right-hander Mike Soroka, who has been outstanding in three starts this season (2-1, 1.62 ERA). He has allowed just one run in each of his three starts, relying on a heavy sinker and a four-seam fastball.
He has faced the Marlins just once in his career (0-0, 1.93 ERA). Soroka is averaging just 5 2/3 innings per start this season, however, and he hasn’t received much run support, either.
That run-support stat is painful for Braves center fielder Ender Inciarte, who takes those things personally. The Braves beat the Marlins 7-2 on Friday in the series opener, and Inciarte hopes that marks the start of something good.
“We’re going to catch a hot streak, and we’re going to start winning a lot of games,” he said. “We just have to keep competing, and good things are going to happen.
“Our offense has been inconsistent. That’s part of the game. At some point, we will get on a roll. At the end of the season, I know we are going to be where we want to be because we have a solid offense, good pitching and everything we need to start winning games.”
The Braves also got third baseman Josh Donaldson back on Friday after he missed three straight games due to a sore right calf. He went 3-for-5 with three RBIs, further fueling good feelings for Atlanta.
“Hopefully everything’s quieted down,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said when asked about Donaldson’s injury. “He’s been around the block. He knows how to manage things like this and when to push. But it’s a big bat out of our lineup when he’s not in there.”
Meanwhile, the Marlins, who own the worst record in the majors, had their CEO, Derek Jeter, speak to the media prior to Friday’s game.
Jeter wasn’t happy with Miami’s win-loss record or his team’s home attendance, which is also last in the majors.
“I think everyone knows we’re better than this,” Jeter said. “There shouldn’t be a person in this building that’s happy with how we’ve played.”