(Photo: Joe Camporeale, Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports)
Merrill Kelly faced one batter over the minimum for the first three innings of his outing on Sunday afternoon, a solid start to what turned out to be a solid overall performance against the San Francisco Giants.
For Kelly, getting through the early innings has been crucial for his success. In 25 starts this season, he has a 5.92 ERA in the first three innings and a 3.05 ERA in innings four through six.
The early struggles have prompted a few changes in his routine. Pitching coach Mike Butcher said Kelly is throwing a few more pitches in his pregame warm-ups and has begun throwing them with more conviction.