Dallas Keuchel was tagged for seven earned runs in a loss to the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday, and the left-hander thinks he may have figured out why he is struggling over his last several starts.
Following the Houston Astros’ 7-1 loss, Keuchel wondered if he has been tipping his pitches. He felt there was no other logical explanation for the Astros scoring four runs off of him in the first inning and was particularly puzzled by Kyle Seager’s three-run home run to the opposite field.
“That’s a pitch I wanted to throw,” Keuchel said, via Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. “Either I’m tipping or they’re getting signs from [catcher Max Stassi] or something because [Seager] doesn’t normally do that. You’ve got to tip your cap to him because it’s a Major League swing.”
Keuchel added that he is frustrated because he’s 3-8 on the year and feels like he’s throwing the ball well.
“I felt like there was no way seven runs were on the board with the way I felt. I know what 3-8 feels and it doesn’t feel like this. It’s tough, but at the end of the day, I want to help the guys out. It’s just the way it’s going. We’ll continue to battle and it will turn around sooner.”
Keuchel was 14-5 with a 2.90 ERA last season and is a former Cy Young Award winner, so his struggles have been surprising. Houston’s pitching staff is actually on pace to set records, and Keuchel is the only Astros starter who hasn’t been dominant or close to it. If he’s tipping pitches, that would help explain a lot.
