ARLINGTON -- Blue Jays starter Bowden Francis tossed five-plus scoreless innings against the Rangers on Tuesday night, but the most notable zero in the right-hander’s pitching line was in the home run column.
Although Toronto fell, 2-0, to the Rangers at Globe Life Field, leaving Francis with a no-decision, Tuesday’s start was only the third in 11 this season in which Francis didn’t allow a homer. His 15 home runs allowed are tied for the most in the Majors.
Francis gave up 17 homers last season in almost twice as many innings (103 2/3) as he has thrown this year (55 1/3), but he had no such problems Tuesday. Although his outing was brief, at only 75 pitches, he struck out six, walked one and allowed only three hits, all singles.
“It’s good just to get back to how I can pitch,” Francis said.
Francis had given up nine dingers over his past 22 2/3 innings, beginning with a rough five-homer outing against Boston on April 29. Over the past month, Francis and pitching coach Pete Walker worked on some mechanical flaws they had noticed.
Francis said he has worked on “being really conscious of it on the mound, and in prep work, and just being intentful in the side sessions and stuff. Staying in my posture and feeling my energy going to the catcher, not over-rotating and getting out of whack. It helped. ... Cleaning up bad habits just takes a little bit of time.”
Relying on solid fastball command Tuesday, Francis got 12 swings and misses from the Rangers, retiring 11 hitters in a row from the first to fourth innings. His night ended after he surrendered a single to Josh Smith to start the sixth.
Although Francis has thrown more than 75 pitches in all but one start this season, Toronto manager John Schneider said he’d done enough Tuesday. Now, Francis has a strong performance upon which to improve.
“That was probably the best start he’s had in a while,” Schneider said. “He’s been working real hard in between with Pete to get the fastball where he wanted to today, and he did. That’s important, too, to have a guy have four or five days to sit on a good outing. I think, and I hope, Bowden will build off of this one a little bit.
“Tonight was really encouraging from Bowden. He’s got some deception in his delivery, his fastball plays up and I think when he’s putting it where he wants to, he’s going to get some swing and miss.”
Francis didn’t give up much hard contact, either. Adolis García’s second-inning groundout (106.7 mph exit velocity) and Wyatt Langford’s first-inning single (103.5 mph) were the only balls hit harder than 100 mph.
For someone with a penchant for throwing home run balls, that’s a welcome sign. Francis said he found himself in some troublesome spots earlier this season where he felt a tendency to “put in cruise control,” but Tuesday, he simply cruised through the Rangers’ lineup twice.
“I keep telling myself to keep attacking and stay on it,” Francis said.