The IronPigs have dropped their first two games to the Durham Bulls after dropping a couple in Columbus. It’s a 4-game losing streak and it has to end. We can look forward to Carlos Zambrano again tomorrow night, but he has to face Jake Odorizzi–a formidable opponent. Tonight’s the night to make a move.
Let me take you back to May 3, 2013. The IronPigs were on a 3-game losing streak. They had just returned from a Western-division road trip and dumped the first game of the series to the league-leading Indianapolis Indians. It was a Friday night, and the team needed a stopper. Tyler Cloyd took the mound sporting an 0-3 record. Fans were not confident.
What happened next was a dominant outing from Tyler. He shut down the red-hot Indians and the ‘Pigs won 7-1 in a game that took but 2:33 for a full nine innings. The ‘Pigs then went on to win the last two games of that series, both in walk-off fashion. It was a return to the Tyler Cloyd of 2012.
That’s what the IronPigs need tonight. They need Tyler Cloyd to come out and shut down the Durham Bulls. The bats need to keep hitting the ball, and the ‘Pigs need to get back to the winning ways. As I wrote the other day, these next 27 days are the key to the season. The ‘Pigs need to get hot now, or I’m going to be entering this season in a contest for a free funeral. I know it’s been two weak outings for Cloyd since he returned from the Phillies. I know he’s given up a fair few home runs. But,
It’s up to you, Tyler. We’re counting on you.
Oh, one more thing: That dominant outing on May 3 basically earned Tyler his call to the Phillies. I can’t promise that this time, but a return to form will go a long way towards keeping Cloyd at the top of the list of starters should the Phillies come calling again.
Hoping for a win, I’ll see you at the park,
@Kram209
noisenation.mlblogs.com 