Madtowntripper said:

Why am I a Cubs fan

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Quote:

 

For Prior, there's no relief
Gives up 4 runs, 3 walks in 2 innings; Piniella: He has time

By Paul Sullivan
Tribune staff reporter

March 10, 2007, 9:22 PM CST

SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Lou Piniella says Mark Prior has plenty of time to get his act together.

But the Cubs right-hander appears a long way from getting back to the form that made him a dominant pitcher only three years ago.


Prior allowed four runs on four hits and three walks in two innings of relief in a 6-5 loss to Kansas City on Saturday, throwing 40 pitches, including 20 strikes. He picked up a little speed on his fastball, going from the mid-80s in his first outing to 86 to 88 m.p.h. Saturday and topping out at 89.

But Prior has an 18.90 ERA, and of the 34 swings taken against him in his two outings, only three have missed, an alarming ratio. Prior threw more breaking balls than usual Saturday but couldn't throw them for strikes.

"You can't pitch up here with one pitch," Piniella said. "Especially if you're not locating that pitch as well as you have in the past. I don't think he's pleased, obviously. But again, we're only talking about the 10th of March. We still have 20 days left and a lot of things can happen in that period of time."

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Madtowntripper said:

Why am I a Cubs fan

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