Lynn continues to pitch with no margin for error
Cards righty receiving fifth-lowest run support per nine innings of all NL starters
CHICAGO -- The Cardinals' offense made Lance Lynn's transition to the rotation a bit smoother in 2012, staking him with the best run support average of any pitcher in the league. This year, the Cards righty is finding out what it's like to pitch without so generous a supporting cast.
Though Yadier Molina's triple took Lynn off the hook for a loss by sending the Cardinals to a come-from-behind 3-2 win over the White Sox, Lynn again navigated through a start amid the slimmest of margins. The offense has averaged 2.2 runs while he's been on the mound this season, and Lynn received no help on Wednesday until he was done.
Lynn trailed, 2-0, upon departing after a six-inning start that saw the White Sox score twice in his final inning.
"I've always thought that if I don't give up a run, I can't lose," Lynn said, downplaying the run support effect. "That's my motto every time I pitch."
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While that may be an infallible truth, Lynn has had more of a tightrope to walk than others. He has yet to win a game when allowing more than one run and has the fifth-lowest run support per nine innings of all National League starters.
"He just can't let up one," manager Mike Matheny said. "Simple. We've talked in the past about how much support he gets. It comes around. He's going to get support again. The guys love playing behind him because he's a bulldog."
Still, Lynn limited the White Sox to just a pair of runs and found success by slightly straying from his usual blueprint. He entered the night having thrown one of his three fastballs 92 percent of the time. But seeing that White Sox hitters were having trouble with his curve early, Lynn mixed in a healthy dose of offspeed pitches throughout the evening.
"For me, I'm a good fastball pitcher," Lynn said. "I used four pitches tonight. There was a game last time that I threw where I used two pitches. It's just whatever works. You go with it and see how they're reacting."