The right-hander, who was the second-round draft choice of the Arizona Diamondbacks this spring, was going nowhere pitching that way. And so, too, were the Missoula Osprey.
Things are starting to change, however, as both Shaw and the Osprey begin a seven-game road swing this week.
“We just weren't clicking as well as a team, as we're starting to now,” said Shaw who earned his second save in that 5-3 series finale victory. “It was early. We were trying to get accommodated with everybody; How they play, how they move and stuff like that. It's starting to come together real well.”
Things weren't always so rosy, though, as Missoula got off to a 2-10 start before it won two in a row, the only time that has happened all year, on June 29-30.
The Birds followed with 10 consecutive losses to set a team record. That finally came to an end last Saturday against Idaho Falls with a 9-5 victory.
The Osprey pitching staff, which ranks last in the Pioneer League in earned run average at 6.26, received much of the blame even though the team batting average (.240) also ranks last in the league.
The weighty ERA was caused by many of Missoula's arms who, like Shaw, pitched backwards in college, said pitching coach Steve Merriman.
Merriman, who's in his second year with the Osprey, says “pitching backwards” is common at the college level, where aluminum bats and an emphasis on winning, rather than development, is prevalent.
Shaw's performances have been up and down this season, including his turn in Missoula's combined no-hitter on June 30 at Helena, as the Long Beach State product struggled to get ahead of hitters using his old methods.
“He was used to using a slider first and a split first and not a 92- to 96-mile-per-hour fastball,” Merriman said. “His fastball command has been poor, so we're trying to get him to use his fastball early and get more outs with his fastball.
“So, those are the things that we're learning, and he (Shaw) has to learn how to do even as a second-round pick. That's just the way it goes.”
In his second-to-last outing against Casper, Shaw faced 10 batters and got six ground-ball outs with his fastball - which is encouraging to his coach.
“What we've done early on is kind of gotten away from contact, so we want guys to pitch to contact,” Merriman said. “We told them we don't care how many hits they give up, it's not about that. It's learning to use the things that they need to be able to use right now to be able to pitch at the higher levels. That's the thing that most people don't understand when they see scores.”
Merriman knows it can be difficult in baseball, especially when scores get lopsided, like they often did during the O's recent run of losses. Yet, he stayed upbeat.
“I tell ya, there's been a big difference in what the pitchers are doing right now in terms of their conviction,” Merriman said. “Because we've talked so much about trying to get them to use their fastball early.”
During the final game of a four-game sweep at the hands of Casper, Merriman and his staff tracked first pitches and found there were two hits off first-pitch fastballs, but there were 24 swings.
“I'll take two hits in 24 swings,” Merriman said. “And you're saying, ‘Why do they keep throwing fastballs?' Well, No. 1 we need to learn how to do it, but No. 2 there just aren't that many guys that get hits. So it's a lot of those little things that we're trying to get these guys to see and they did this series for sure. I think it's only going to continue to get better, I really do.”
Many of the other pitchers have similar stories of pitching backwards and making simple adjustments to philosophies or their delivery styles. It's those corrections that seem to have had an impact the past week, which saw the Birds halt their record losing streak and at the same time win a series for just the second time all season.
“It was good for us to get this series,” said Shaw, after a four-strikeout performance in Monday's win over Idaho Falls. “We came off a 10-game losing streak and it's been tough for us, but you know, we're starting to come together as a team. We're starting to hit the ball, and we're starting to pitch better as a whole, so hopefully we keep going like this.”
Reporter Nick Lockridge may be reached at 523-5298 or nick.lockridge@lee.net.
|
 |
 |
Add your comment now! Write your comment in the form below.
(Email address is for verification only. If you'd like to email a story, look for the link above)