PITTSBURGH — Trevor Williams lost out in the derby to be the Pittsburgh Pirates' fifth starter in the spring. Banished to the bullpen for the first month of the season, he felt he needed to turn himself into a flamethrower.
When he was brought back into the rotation in early May, he tried to pitch with the same mentality. It didn't work.
"I was trying to throw it 95, every pitch," Williams said. "That's not the pitcher that got me to the major leagues. I got punched in the face early."
Now he's punching back. Williams allowed one hit over seven dominant innings to outduel Detroit's Justin Zimmermann as the Pirates beat the Tigers 3-0 on Monday night.