Pitching in April can be a very difficult task for hurlers who play in colder climates. Going to a baseball game in Boston, New York or Washington, D.C. at the beginning of the season can be a very uncomfortable experience, and Washington Nationals pitcher Gio Gonzalez got a taste of that on a chilly 45-degree Wednesday night against the Miami Marlins.
Gonzalez handled the conditions almost perfectly, tossing six innings of two-hit ball and allowing no earned runs. However, he wasn’t able to accomplish that without giving his hand plenty of TLC.
“It was definitely difficult, especially with this cold weather,” he told MASN’s Bob Carpenter after the game, via Sarah Kogod of DC Sports Bog. “It was tough to get a grip. I felt like I was making love to my hand. Just one of those things where I was constantly trying to find some grip, somehow, some way. The rosin bag, whatever, licking the fingers. But it felt good after that.”
Whatever it takes, right? Not only did the love making help Gonzalez on the mound, it also seemed to give him a boost at the plate. He cranked a home run to left in the fifth inning to give the Nationals their first run of the game.
Perhaps Gonzalez should make love to his hand on warm nights, too. His hand certainly seems to enjoy it.
H/T SI Hot Clicks
