History nerds roll their eyes and shake their heads when you ask about 16th century Spanish explorer and conquistador Juan Ponce de León’s search for the Fountain of Youth. “Myth,” they mutter. Cardinal baseball nerds show the same disdain when you inquire about 21st century reliever and starter Daniel Ponce de Leon’s search for the Fountain of Proof. “Math,” they sneer.
Your game 2 pitcher tonight continued his quest to prove he can stick as a starter. He’s always had the strikeout numbers flashing 8.9 Ks/9 (38 IP) and 9.6 Ks/9 (48.2 IP) in his 2018 and 2019 stints, respectively.