Carrillo Working Through Tough Stretch

BROOKLYN, NY - For most of the 2009 season, Cyclones reliever Matias Carrillo was a shut down option, but now he faces his first adversity of the season. Carrillo has received his share of time at higher levels, but now needs to get back to his earlier form to get another shot.

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When Matias Carrillo is on his game, the Cyclones are one of the toughest teams to beat in the entire New York-Penn League. Carrillo has been a cog in the Cyclones bullpen all season long, and he has really showed his worth from day one. But along with all of his success, he has recently hit a bit of a rough patch, and as he begins to struggle, so have the Cyclones.

For Carrillo, this is not his first go-around with the Mets, and these types of up-and-down years are what the Mets have begun to expect with Matias, who is already entering his fourth year with the organization.

Coming into 2009, he had never advanced beyond High-A Ball, and the best numbers he had put up at any level came in 2008 with Brooklyn. He has definitely shown he is comfortable in the New York-Penn League, but just about everywhere else the big lefty has been roughed up.

He began the season in St. Lucie where his stint was short-lived after allowing 11 earned runs and 17 hits in only 10 2/3 innings worked. After appearing in only nine games he was reassigned back to Brooklyn. This year, since coming back down he has improved on all of his stats from last season and once again observers wonder whether or not he is ready for the next level.

For Matias this is not his first time playing in a professional environment, and being the son of a former big league player he says he has benefited a lot from watching his father play.

“I have learned that I have to work as hard as I can and do everything I can to continue living my dream and one day play in the big leagues,” he said.

And following the advice of his peers and family, he began his year in Brooklyn with his best stretch yet in professional ball. Being the go-to-guy out in the pen, he was used mainly as the Cyclones’ top set-up man, but he was not restricted to eighth inning duties and on multiple occasions he pitched longer than one inning.

Through his first 14 innings of work he was nothing short of dominant. He began the season not allowing a run until July 26th, and up to that time he did not issue a walk and only allowed nine batters to reach base. During the streak, which lasted over a month the Cyclones got off to a fast start and jumped atop the New York-Penn League Standings with a 25-11 record and a pitching staff whose total ERA was under 3.00.

“I have really been good with my slider for the lefties, and the change-up for the righties. I am really just trying to throw strikes with every pitch, and remembering that I should not put too much pressure on myself and I need to just do my job,” Carrillo explained.

But since that time things have cooled off for the ‘Clones and Carrillo. Since his scoreless streak was snapped, the Cyclones have struggled to play .500 ball and have lost 9 of their last 17. During this most recent stretch of games Carrillo has pitched in nine innings of work and has allowed nine hits to go along with five earned runs. Along with his recently inflated ERA and H/9, the lefty has begun to struggle with his command and has issued two walks over his last three appearances.

For the Cyclones their bullpen has been huge for them all season long, and headed into the dog days of August they have never been as important to the team as they are now. Everyone is sure to be exhausted, but it is critical to the success of the team that Carrillo, and the rest of his pen-mates find a little extra fuel and push their way into the playoffs.

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