WooSox starter Cooper Criswell ‘awesome’ during home opener on Tuesday
WooSox starter Cooper Criswell was very good on the mound during the team’s home opener from Polar Park on Tuesday. It was cold all afternoon, but that didn’t stop Criswell from filling the strike zone and putting up a bunch of zeros on the scoreboard.
“I don’t think the cold affected too many guys,” said Criswell post-game to reporters, including Beyond the Monster. “Once you get the body going out there and competing, I feel like the cold is the last thing on your mind.”
The Georgia native, who wore a black long-sleeve Under Armor turtleneck, dressed appropriately on the mound and dazzled in front of fans and his new teammates.
Criswell tossed five scoreless frames, surrendering four hits and no runs while walking one and striking out five.
“I felt good; I thought [Tyler] Heineman caught a great game back there,” said Criswell. “Mixed in all four pitches, a little less cutter today... I had the other three pitches working. I was able to get some big-time ground balls; guys rolled it up nicely in two of the innings.”
The right-hander was efficient on the mound; he tossed 74 pitches, induced 10 whiffs, and dominated the strike zone with his sweeper and sinker. He tossed the sweeper 30 times, maxing out at 77.6 mph. Criswell only had four hard hit balls in play, and the Buffalo Bisons only managed to barrel the ball in one at-bat while he was on the mound.
Criswell credited a lot of his success on Tuesday to the Red Sox's new pitching focus and philosophy. Both Criswell and WooSox skipper Chad Tracy mentioned how much the organization has hammered into the players on throwing strikes; getting ahead in the counts was important.
“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,” added Criswell.
Tracy was complimentary of Criswell’s performance and his ability to mix his pitches and get the ball on the ground to help generate additional outs.
“He was great today because of the double plays,” said Tracy. “Two separate occasions to get himself out of trouble. The first of which was first and third, no outs; he gets a strikeout and a double play.
“His ability, even in situations like that, to wiggle out and put the ball on the ground, and even with the whiffs, he is able to get a strikeout when he needs it and can put the ball on the ground. He was awesome,” added Tracy.
Criswell is penciled in to start again for the WooSox in the series finale on Sunday afternoon from Polar Park.
