Success starting to come around for Gray after slow start

DETROIT -- Jon Gray mows down hitters. That’s what he does.

The Rangers’ big, hard-throwing right-hander didn’t figure in the decision of Tuesday afternoon’s 4-2 loss to the Tigers at Comerica Park, however, he struck out seven while allowing one earned run over six innings to continue his strong pitching run of late.

“He threw a really nice game, six solid innings,” said manager Bruce Bochy. “He had a good slider going with a good fastball, good location, and he used his changeup very well today. It’s good to see him throw like that. It looks like he’s getting on track, which is a great sign.”

Gray has struck out 19 in 14 2/3 innings over his last three starts and has allowed only two earned runs in that span, however, he’s also walked seven over that stretch, including three against Detroit.

“I think the stuff is finally there,” Gray said. “The stuff is really good. I’m just really frustrated with the walks. [If] we don’t walk anyone, we attack everyone, I feel like we win today. But I’m happy with the way the pitches looked, the action, the curveball’s coming around. It’s doing great.

“I could’ve been better with the fastball today, and I could’ve been a lot more in the zone. I just don’t like the walks.”

Gray is tied for ninth among active pitchers with 1,000-plus career innings with a 63.9 percent first-pitch strike percentage entering the game, and posted those against 66.7 percent (16-of-24) of the Tigers he faced.

“It’s one of those things I say in my head all the time, ‘Get ahead. Stay ahead. Put ‘em away,’” Gray said. “It’s rule No. 1 for me, and I can do better. But it’s very important to get strike one and get ahead.”

That statistic doesn’t usually lead to walks, but his 4.9 walks per nine innings this season does exceed his 3.0 career average.

Both Detroit runs he allowed were scored by batters he walked, but an error by Evan Carter made one of those runs unearned.

Gray struck out the side in the first inning before fanning another pair after Kerry Carpenter’s leadoff triple in the second.

“I felt like everything was really snappy early on,” Gray said. “I thought we pitched well the whole game, but early on it was just really sharp. When a guy hits a leadoff triple, it becomes fun because you can play a game with yourself: ‘This is an opportunity. What if I get out of this? How cool would that be?’”

“The biggest thing for Jon is mixing his pitches,” said catcher Andrew Knizner. “I think when you look at any of his outings, when he’s using all four of his pitches [fastball, slider, curve and changeup] and mixes in and out of the zone, getting ahead, that’s really when he’s at his best.

“He was doing that in his last outing and it carried over into today. We’d just get ahead with any one of his pitches -- they’re all very, very good -- and then once we get ahead of guys it’s really hard for them. We stay ahead, mix, and get chases.”

Gray followed up the five shutout innings by Monday night’s starter, Michael Lorenzen, by allowing just that one earned run over six.

“That’s contagious and it’s really important that we do that and follow each other up each day,” Gray said. “It’s a confidence builder, and to see one of your guys go out there and do it makes you feel that much better about it.”

Gray entered the game with 9.1 strikeouts per nine innings -- which ranks 27th among those with at least 1,000 innings pitched. He has 1,146 career strikeouts in 1,132 1/3 innings. He’s always been a strikeout pitcher, and being able to get them when needed most is a great ticket to winning games. That victory didn’t come on Tuesday, and Gray is 0-1 this season despite a 3.44 ERA, however, the way he’s pitching bodes well for future success.