Josh Smith walked back to the dugout and glanced up at the giant video boards inside Globe Life Field with a look of puzzlement.
What was that pitch Matt Brash just threw?
This moment came in the ninth inning on Friday night in a tie game and the winning run at second base. Facing a 2-2 count, Cal Raleigh called for a changeup and Brash delivered a perfect pitch that got the Rangers leadoff hitter swinging through for strike three.
It was one pitch on a night where Mariners pitchers ended up throwing 181 pitches over 12 innings in the 7-6 victory. But it was a clear example of how Brash is getting more comfortable adding the changeup to his pitch mix.
“[Friday] was a good checkpoint for me with it. Just obviously a big spot with the game on the line, runner on second. Cal called it and I threw it, and I didn't have any second thoughts,” Brash said. “I threw a good one, but it was just the confidence to throw it. I feel like it's come a long way and I think it's a really good weapon, especially to lefties it’s a different look. I'm just really happy with it.”
Brash’s escape in the ninth inning on Friday was his 17th consecutive scoreless appearance to start his season, setting a new franchise record. Andrés Muñoz went 16 straight earlier this season, as did Marc Rzepczynski in 2017.
And Brash added on to that record with an 18th straight scoreless appearance working the ninth inning in Saturday’s 3-2 loss to Texas.
The changeup Brash threw to Smith was one of four he threw in the ninth inning Friday. According to MLB Statcast, he’s thrown only 29 change-ups since making his return after missing all of last year following Tommy John surgery.
Brash threw another six change-ups Saturday, another sign of his growing comfort with the pitch.
It was during the downtime recovering from surgery that Brash started tinkering with the idea of adding the pitch. He threw it occasionally in college, but once he got into pro ball the pitch became secondary to his fastball and breaking stuff.
When Muñoz started toying with throwing a kick changeup during spring training, Brash took notice. He also saw other pitchers who began as starters before transitioning to the bullpen turn to the pitch as well.
It’s not a pitch he’s going to deploy regularly, but in certain situations it can be a real weapon.
“I think what I did [Friday] with it was really good. Smith had never seen it before. I threw it in a big spot there where he was probably looking slider,” Brash said. “I threw a good one to [Sam] Haggerty that he didn’t swing at. But I think it’s just a good mix.”
Bullpen arm arrives; another coming soon?
The Mariners selected right-hander Juan Burgos from Triple-A Tacoma and designated for assignment Zach Pop before Saturday’s game.
Burges made 21 of his 22 appearances this season for Double-A Arkansas before being promoted to Tacoma earlier this week.
Burgos allowed just two earned runs in 29 innings in the minors so far this season and will make his major league debut if and when he appears in a game.
Pop made four appearances after joining the M’s roster on June 16, but was rocked for seven earned runs, six hits and gave up two homers in one inning of work in the 10-1 loss to Minnesota on Thursday.
Another righty is moving closer to rejoining the bullpen.
Collin Snider, out since June 4 with right forearm flexor strain, threw a sim game on Friday and will either throw live to hitters on Monday or begin a rehab assignment on Tuesday, he said. Including warmups, Snider threw about 40 pitches on Friday and came out of the session feeling good.
Snider appeared in 24 games before going on the injured list.
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