This one was a no-brainer.
Hagen Smith, the freshman lefty lived up to the hype and then some. He scattered five hits over six innings without yielding a run. The long, tall Texan struck out five and walked only one. Even more impressive than the numbers, Smith looked like he belonged out there.
Fans will quickly fall in love with the kid’s easy, smooth delivery. He throws from a three-quarter slot, a la Chris Sale. But his delivery is far less violent than the Boston lefty’s, putting less stress on that golden left arm. Smith was a joy to watch today.
Bullpen Notes:
- Mark Adamiak threw his first pitches of the year. He was questionable this weekend after taking a Peyton Stovall line drive off the shin last week during a scrimmage. Adamiak showed the power we expected but lacked some command, giving up 3 hits and a walk in 1 1/3 IP.
- Evan Taylor made a nice audition for Mr. Matchup Lefty. He faced one batter, striking out Jake McCaw.
- Heston Tole earned the rare 4-run save after entering with two runners on in the eighth inning. Tole ended up giving up a run on one hit, though he looked pretty sharp in doing so. Tole is one to watch this season. He could be a useful swingman out of the bullpen.