HOUSTON — Mike Wright had pitched so well that it's easy to forget that he was making just his fourth big league start Tuesday night against the Houston Astros.
It's pretty clear that Wright's stuff plays in the big leagues. His next lesson is making adjustments against major league hitters while staying true to his strengths.
Wright's fastball is dominant, and on Tuesday he was hitting the mid 90s regularly. But in the Astros' five-run third inning, he was beaten by the two pitches he uses least often.
Wright, who throws his fastball 68.7 percent of the time, allowed a three-run homer to Evan Gattis on an 0-1 changeup, a pitch he throws just 8.8 percent of the time. Luis Valbuena followed with a homer on a 1-0 curveball. Wright throws his hook just 5 percent of the time.
Before then, Wright fed the Astros a heavy diet of fastballs, and it was working. The scouting report on the Astros said to mix in some off-speed pitches, but pitching backward didn't pay off for Wright.
"I think I need to make a little better adjustments," Wright said. "I knew in that inning my breaking stuff wasn't working and I knew it was the right pitch. The scouting report proves that. And if I have my good stuff maybe I'm not in that situation. But I've got to recover and make adjustments."
-- On Saturday, right-hander Kevin Gausman will appear in his first game since going on the disabled list. Gausman is scheduled to pitch for high Single-A Frederick in Wilmington, Del., and is expected to pitch three innings or throw about 45 pitches as he begins to get extended as a starter.
Gausman, who threw 32 pitches in a two-inning simulated game Tuesday in Houston, will throw a side session before Thursday's game at Minute Maid Park and then fly back to Baltimore. After pitching for Frederick, he likely will make his next start for Double-A Bowie, an outing that will likely be four to five innings, before joining the rotation at Triple-A Norfolk.
"That's the goal, is to really see how I recover when games start," Gausman said. "That's a big test. But I feel great. My shoulder feels really strong and I haven't had any setbacks. Yeah, going forward, it's about getting back to being major league-ready."
Gausman hasn't pitched in a game since May 6, so he's eager to get back on the mound.
"I'm really excited," Gausman said. "It's been almost a month now without being in a game. I've never been on the DL. Being that it's been a month, it's been kind of tough just being around here and not being able to help. That's the biggest thing. I'm really excited and ready to get back into a game. I think that first time in Wilmington, I'll probably have a lot of adrenaline."
Because he's being stretched out, it's likely he won't be considered for the major league roster until he has started three-to-five games. But starting again will allow Gausman to work on all of his pitches.
Working out of the bullpen this season, Gausman was mainly a two-pitch pitcher, almost exclusively throwing his fastball and splitter. But now he will be able to mix in his circle changeup, which was a weapon for him in the Orioles rotation last season, as well as his curveball and slider.
-- The local Astros television broadcast of Monday's game showed a fan chasing a foul ball with a concealed handgun tucked in the waistband of his pants.
Major League Baseball tightened its security measures this season, placing metal detectors at all 30 ballparks.
In Texas, residents can carry a concealed weapon with a license, but it is illegal to carry a concealed weapon into any amateur or professional sporting event, according to Texas state law.
The Astros explained the situation through a series of tweets on Tuesday morning, saying that the person on camera was a plain-clothed police officer who was one of 2,000 officers attending the game in support of Tyler Martin, the son of slain Houston police officer Richard Martin.
Before Monday's game, Tyler Martin threw out the first pitch with about 50 officers lining both baselines and positioned behind the mound in support.