Fine Control Defines Andrew Suarez

Sometimes, as they say, your biggest strength also can become your biggest weakness. Lefthander Andrew Suarez probably can relate to that.

The Giants promoted their 2015 second-round pick from Double-A Richmond to Triple-A Sacramento in June. When asked what people in the organization have said they like about him, Suarez sounded as if they were talking about a double-edged sword.

“They like that I throw a lot of strikes and compete,” he said, “but that’s another weakness, that I throw too many strikes.”

In 250 career minor league innings before joining the River Cats, Suarez issued 49 walks—or just 1.8 per nine innings. That type of control usually benefits a pitcher, but it can have its drawbacks.

During his first month at Sacramento, Suarez knew there were times when he should use his slider as a waste pitch, but, “instead of throwing it in the dirt and getting either a swing and miss or a ground ball, I leave it up and get a line drive.”

Suarez picked up that pound-the-strike-zone mentality as a kid. From about age 10 to age 14, the Miami native was coached on his youth-league team by former big league righthander Alex Fernandez.

Suarez recalled that Fernandez stressed attacking hitters.

“He was a bulldog when he was out there, and he always taught us to (be) the same,” Suarez said. “We were called the Bulldogs.”

Sacramento pitching coach Dwight Bernard said Suarez has “got the stuff; the pitches are there,” listing a fastball, a slider/cutter and a changeup as Suarez’s three main pitches. Bernard believes Suarez needs to improve his command and location.

Suarez, who has a degree in psychology from the University of Miami, became a statistical novelty in early July—or, perhaps, in early April.

On July 8, Suarez gave up three earned runs in 5.1 innings and got the win in a 6-3 Sacramento victory against Tacoma in the completion of a game that was suspended in the first inning on April 7.

That was the date Suarez made his first start of the season for Richmond. He gave up three earned runs in four innings and took the loss as the Flying Squirrels fell 6-1 to Hartford.

So, in his official game log, Suarez is listed as pitching for both Sacramento and Richmond on April 7.

“That’s actually pretty cool,” he said.

GIANTICS

• Big league outfielder Austin Slater tore the adductor muscle in his right hip on July 7. He’s expected to be out at least two months and perhaps the rest of the season. The Stanford alum had hit .290 (29-for-100) with three home runs since his callup from Sacramento on June 2.