Cooper Criswell’s sinker and sweeper fills the strike zone in his second start for the WooSox

Image courtesy of Worcester Telegram & Gazette

The WooSox have gotten two good starts from right-handed starter Cooper Criswell. Despite taking the loss on Sunday, Criswell was sharp again, attacking hitters with his sinker and sweeper.

Criswell tossed 5 1/3 innings, giving up just four hits, one earned run, two walks (one HBP), and striking out four batters. He threw 82 pitches, 50 of them for strikes. The Georgia native dominated the strike zone with both his sinker and sweeper, tossing the sinker 38 times and the sweeper 32 times.

Despite not throwing hard while on the mound, Criswell has been a ground ball machine, forcing hitters to hit the ball on the ground 11 times in Sunday’s loss to the Buffalo Bisons.

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Criswell forced two double plays during his outing with Romy Gonzalez, who is seeing more time at shortstop with David Hamilton up with the Red Sox, involved in both twin killings.

The lone run that the righty gave up came after Chase Shugart replaced him in the top of the sixth inning with traffic on the bases. Bisons’ Luis De Los Santos grounds into a force out to the shortstop Romy Gonzalez, resulting in Orelvis Martinez to score.

This was the second straight start where Tyler Heineman caught Criswell. In his last start against Buffalo during the WooSox home opener, he credited Heineman for calling a great game by allowing him to mix in all four of his pitches.

Criswell saw 43 of his pitches land within the strike zone, 39 of the pitches were out of the zone, and the Bisons’ lineup swung at 36 pitches.

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The Red Sox have preached to pitchers about attacking the strike zone and throwing their best stuff in the zone. Following his first start on Tuesday, Criswell felt he did that.

“It’s pretty much what it was in spring training: throw your best stuff in the zone and attack hitters. I feel like in my first outing here and going back to spring training, today felt like it was pretty good,” said Criswell on Tuesday following his start.

Through the first two starts leading the WooSox rotation, he has a 0.87 ERA, which is fifth best in the International League. He’s tossed 10 1/3 frames; he’s given up eight hits, one earned run, three walks, and nine strikeouts.