Keep moving forward: Adam Conley taking strides as season winds down
MIAMI -- As the season nears its end and the young Miami Marlins charter unfamiliar territory, rookie left-hander Adam Conley's progression shows signs of hope over the past month.
Conley struck out a career-high eight batters for a no decision in Miami's 4-3 walk-off victory in 11 innings over the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday night.
On the same day he was named the organization's Minor League Pitcher of the Year, Conley allowed just three hits with one walk over six-plus innings. He didn't permit a baserunner until Darin Ruf's leadoff single in the fifth. Ruf and Jeff Francoeur singled on consecutive pitches before Darnell Sweeney walked to load the bases. Conley limited the damage to one run by inducing a double play off the bat of Carlos Ruiz.
"The biggest change for me I think was in my earlier starts the tempo wasn't very good," Conley said. "Even when I was throwing a lot of strikes the mentality wasn't necessarily of an attack mode. We just tried to carry it over the last two starts and have success with it. Early in the game I was able to expand the zone with the fastball, which helps open up a lot of other stuff, my slider especially. The biggest thing since coming up is for the first time really ever my slider's always been a question mark as a third pitch wondering how it was going to develop and everything.
"Well, for the first time I feel like I have the freedom to just throw it as hard as I want. I've been able to do that with the fastball and changeup for a long time, and now that third pitch is making me a different guy, which is opening up new opportunities for me in the strike zone. We're trying to roll with it and learn what we can with what's changing for me."
The 25-year-old lefty has a 2.70 ERA over his past six outings. In 33 1/3 innings, he has given up 10 earned runs.
During his first seven starts, Conley failed to pitch into the sixth all but once. He has done so in each of his past two games. He needed just 90 pitches (59 strikes) to get into the seventh for a quality start -- the third of his career.
His fastball has regularly been in the mid-90s, topping out at 95 on Wednesday. According to manager Dan Jennings, that additional velocity helps give his slider more depth and quickness. Conley has struck out at least six batters in three straight starts.
Four of his strikeouts came via the fastball and the other four off the slider. He recorded at least one in each frame. Not only that, but the contact didn't go far with five groundouts, three flyouts, one popout and one lineout.
"He is taking a huge step forward," Jennings said. "I know in conversations (pitching coach) Chuck (Hernandez) has had with him and talks we've had, he's trusting his stuff. The fastball that he's featuring now we've tried to tell him as hard as he can as long as he can. Tonight I thought he created an excellent tempo, got into a good rhythm, threw his fastball downhill to 95-96 and tremendous use of his slider and changeup. But just the way he competed in the strike zone was tremendous.
"I thought the way he attacked their hitters was great to see, and that's two good outings in a row where you can see him growing into trusting his stuff. And his stuff is good enough to compete up here."
Naturally with this success, Conley's confidence level continues to grow. Doubts about whether he could be a big-league starter have gone by the wayside with these flashes.
"It's affirmation that the hand speed and everything with the slider and the pitches and themselves are working and everything," Conley said. "Even earlier statistically when I didn't have great numbers I didn't feel beaten up or anything. I felt actually like I was throwing better than I had ever thrown it. It was just that in the big leagues mistakes get magnified and damage gets done a lot faster up here. Even when I was having those outings where I was coming out in the fourth and fifth -- it wasn't the result I wanted -- but in the midst of all that and everything there were some things I did well. Confidence has always been there. I just know it's a matter of things all physically clicking together, being able to attack the strike zone, get the tempo going and really step on it."
You can follow Christina De Nicola on Twitter @CDeNicola13 or email her at cdenicola13@gmail.com.
