A year of experience should help Irvin get adjusted to the summer months and build on what was a strong second half.
Picture this: it’s your first summer in Washington, where you’re starting a new job. You grew up braving the Minnesota cold. Sure, it got hot there, but not like this.
“It’s just getting used to pitching in those hot atmospheres,” Irvin said. “Obviously, you do that in the minor leagues, too. But now on a different level with a different focus, things are amplified a little bit.”Irvin played college ball at Oklahoma then spent time in the minors but those stints didn’t invite nearly as many distractions. There weren’t as many fans. The stakes weren’t as high. And trying to get big league hitters out requires more intensity — and, apparently, more sweat.
Kyle Finnegan sweats a lot, too. The right-handed reliever said that Washington summers can be just as hot as those in his home state of Texas. Finnegan throws fewer warm-up pitches during the summer compared to the early portion of the season because the heat can take a toll. Finnegan has worn an armband before and uses rosin, too, but even that’s not always enough.“There’s a point where you just got to deal with it.” Finnegan said.
“He wanted to work on stuff in games,” Martinez said earlier this month. “That’s not what I’m looking for. I’m looking for him to come here and show me that he wants to be one of the five starters. Since then, he’s done really well.”Irvin hasn’t allowed a run over nine innings in his two starts games since. There’s certainly room for improvement from last season. Irvin allowed 1.5 home runs and four walks per nine innings.