Kyle Lobstein has had a rather unusual first few weeks in the majors.
First, he nearly missed his successful major-league debut because of a series of mishaps while traveling to the Aug. 23 game from Indianapolis. Then, in his first major-league start five days later against the Yankees, Lobstein allowed only two runs over six solid innings, earning an "outstanding" grade from manager Brad Ausmus. And on Sunday, the 25-year-old lefty pleasantly surprised the Comerica Park crowd when he threw 5 2/3 innings and allowed only one run on the way to his first MLB win.
Sunday's 6-1 win over the Giants included strong performances from both rookies and veterans, with Miguel Cabrera providing run support in the form of his 22nd homer of the season. Cabrera's two-run shot in the third handed the Tigers a 3-0 lead, which Lobstein upheld like a seasoned pro.
Quite the surprise from a pitcher who up until recently was only considered the most solid option in a field of rookies who were probably not quite ready for the big leagues.
Perhaps a shock considering his rather lackluster pitching performance in Triple-A Toledo, where he was 9-11 with a 4.07 ERA before being called up.
Lobstein appears to be taking the success of his first three appearances in stride, while also enjoying the feeling of his first MLB win. Ausmus attempted to explain Lobstein's performance on Sunday, saying, "I think there are some people who elevate their game when they're on a brighter stage."
Lobstein has been hanging around the minors for some time now since being drafted in 2008 by the Tampa Bay Rays. It wasn't a lightning-fast ascent to the majors, but slow-and-steady seems to be Lobstein's style, even when it comes to his pitching.
Lobstein isn't a flashy, high-velocity pitcher. Instead, he prefers to concentrate on the placement and movement of his pitches. His fastball occasionally breaks the low-90s, but he has quite a command of the strike zone, and a lack of velocity that seemingly works in his favor by throwing off a batter's pace. Many of his pitches wobble in and out of the strike zone.
In short, his pitches can be confusing for the average batter.
In just over 22 innings pitched thus far for the Tigers, Lobstein has a 2.78 ERA and 16 strikeouts.
If for nothing else than his steady hand, he's proven he's someone worth holding onto.
(For more like this, visit Detroit Fan Favorites.)
