I don’t know that I’ve seen a more unlikely complete game shutout by a Mariner since Jeff Weaver’s 4-hitter against Pittsburgh almost 8 years to the day before Mike Montgomery blanked the Royals. In doing so, Montgomery became the first M’s left-hander to record a shutout with 10ks and no walks, and his stuff looked better than it has in any previous start.
Most of the focus on the game will center on his change-up, and for good reason. It’s clearly Montgomery’s best pitch, and he recorded 6 of his 10 punchouts on change-ups. But as we’ve discussed before, the change-up has been a dominant weapon against right-handed batters this season, and he’s been fortunate that the line-ups he’s faced have been so righty-dominant.