|
DUNEDIN — Brett Cecil is hoping that the pitch-count handcuffs come off this year.
After he had pitched three shutout innings Thursday against Pittsburgh, allowing only one hit and striking out six, Cecil was surprised to learn he had thrown 60 pitches without having John Farrell come out and take the ball away.
“Maybe it was a glimpse into the future, him letting us battle through situations, letting us get a little deeper into the game, even though we have a high pitch count,” reasoned Cecil.
“I’m happy with that. I’d really like to get that first complete game out of the way. I had a lot of chances last year but my pitch count got in the way.
“We’re all men here. We’ve got to work out of our own jams and clean up our own messes.”
There were no jams to pitch out of. Cecil threw a few too many pitches for a three-inning appearance, but he kept making the right pitch at the right time.
“When you get into those two-strike counts,” he said, “it’s just a grind to see who wins.”
