Tomoyuki Sugano, the guy who just held our Mariners to one run on one hit over five innings with five strikeouts, is on the mound tonight for what’s likely his final start as a Colorado Rockie. The dude’s got 12 wins and a 5.36 ERA over 147.2 innings, but if he bags a W against the playoff-bound White Sox, he’d be the first Rockies pitcher since 2018 to hit 13 wins or more. That’s a big deal, considering Kyle Freeland (17 wins) and Germán Márquez (14 wins) were the last guys to do it.
Sugano’s Last Shot at History
It hasn’t been an easy ride for Sugano, especially through the second half. His big issue has been keeping those big innings from exploding. You see him navigate a lineup beautifully, then bam, mistakes stack up and it gets away fast. But he’s still got that deep seven-pitch arsenal, led by his split-finger that’s deadly for missing bats, plus a four-seam fastball and a sinker. He’ll mix in a sweeper, cutter, slider, and curveball to keep hitters guessing. If he can avoid that one bad inning tonight, he could really close out his Rockies tenure on a high note and etch his name in the team’s recent history.
Rockies Limping, White Sox Fighting
History or not, the Rockies as a whole are limping to the finish line, and “limping” might be too kind. After showing some flashes of competitiveness earlier in the season, August and September have been absolutely brutal. They’ve gone 14-35 over the last two months, including a truly chilling 5-16 record in September alone. They just closed out Coors Field in depressing fashion, getting swept by Arizona with scores of 7-2, 5-3, and 12-8. So yeah, they’re ready for the offseason, ready to start sorting through the roster, the rotation, what worked, what didn’t, and what comes next. Honestly, who can blame them after watching that?
Tonight, they’re up against a totally different animal. The Chicago White Sox are playoff-bound and still fighting hard, entering the weekend just one game behind Cleveland in the AL Central. They’re trotting out Sean Burke, who’s had a seriously strong year. The right-hander boasts a 10-7 record, a solid 3.40 ERA, 178 strikeouts, and a 1.20 WHIP over 167 innings. Burke leads with a nasty four-seam fastball around 95 mph and pairs it with a slower knuckle curve around 79 mph, creating a big velocity gap that can mess with hitters’ timing. He fills the space between those two pitches with a slider and cutter, also mixing in a sinker. His changeup? Barely gets used. Interestingly, his approach changes depending on who’s in the box: lefties see more four-seamers and curveballs, while that slider becomes a bigger weapon against righties. Left-handed hitters have produced a .233/.305/.405 line against Burke, compared with a slightly better .217/.302/.339 for righties. He’s not known for pinpoint command, and he can definitely give up some hard contact, but his overall effectiveness speaks for itself this season.
So, tonight isn’t just another late-season game. For Tomoyuki Sugano, it’s his chance to make a lasting mark, to leave Colorado with a piece of history before likely heading off for good. And for the Rockies, it’d be a small, sweet note to end what’s been a tough, tough couple of months before they dive headfirst into what’s next for that roster. Let’s see if he can pull it off!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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