Francisco Liriano
Francisco Liriano | |
---|---|
Pitcher | |
Born: San Cristóbal, Dominican Republic | October 26, 1983|
Batted: Left Threw: Left | |
MLB debut | |
September 5, 2005, for the Minnesota Twins | |
Last MLB appearance | |
September 27, 2019, for the Pittsburgh Pirates | |
MLB statistics | |
Win–loss record | 112–114 |
Earned run average | 4.15 |
Strikeouts | 1,815 |
Teams | |
Career highlights and awards | |
|
Francisco Liriano Casillas (born October 26, 1983) is a Dominican former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota Twins, Chicago White Sox, Pittsburgh Pirates, Toronto Blue Jays, Houston Astros, and Detroit Tigers.[1] Liriano was an MLB All-Star in 2006, and is a two-time winner of the MLB Comeback Player of the Year Award (and the only player to win the award in both leagues).[1]
Professional career
San Francisco Giants
Liriano signed with the San Francisco Giants as an international free agent in 2000. After the 2003 season, the Giants traded him to the Minnesota Twins, along with pitchers Joe Nathan and Boof Bonser, in exchange for catcher A. J. Pierzynski.[2]
Minnesota Twins
2005
Often compared to former teammate
2006
Liriano began the 2006 season in Minnesota's bullpen, but was promoted to the starting rotation in May, exchanging positions with struggling starter Carlos Silva.[6] He started the season 12–3 and won the American League Rookie of the Month awards for June and July.[7][8] He was named by American League manager Ozzie Guillén as one of five candidates for the 2006 All-Star Final Vote and finished second to the player he was traded for, A. J. Pierzynski. Guillén selected Liriano for his first All-Star game to replace fatigued starting pitcher José Contreras.[9]
Liriano led the Major Leagues with a 2.19 ERA, statistics putting him in discussion for both the American League
On November 6, 2006, Liriano underwent
2008
On April 11, 2008, Liriano was recalled from Triple-A Rochester in the place of injured pitcher Kevin Slowey.[15] Liriano made his season debut and his first game since Tommy John surgery on April 13, against the Royals. He pitched 4+2⁄3 innings, giving up six hits, four earned runs and walking five while picking up a loss.[16]
On April 25, Liriano was sent back to the minors after a rough start to the season coming off Tommy John surgery. In three starts, he compiled an 0–3 record with an 11.32 ERA.[17]
After recording an ERA of 2.67 and going 10–0 in his 11 most recent minor league starts, the Twins recalled Liriano on August 1, from Triple-A Rochester Red Wings, replacing Liván Hernández in the rotation. Hernandez was designated for assignment.[18] In his first start after being recalled, Liriano pitched six scoreless innings and struck out five, recording the win.[19] In 13 total starts in 2008, he went 6–4 with a 3.91 ERA.[1]
2009
Liriano struggled in 2009, posting a 5–13 record with a 5.80 ERA in 29 games (24 starts).[1] However, this was his first year since his Tommy John surgery that he had spent that entire year on the Twins major league roster. On June 28 against the St. Louis Cardinals, he threw seven strong innings, only surrendering two runs.[20] On August 12 against Kansas City, Liriano went another seven innings, only allowing one run in yet another strong outing.[21] Between those strong flashes of brilliance though, he logged several sub-par showings, frequently giving up several runs during short times on the mound.
2010
During the 2009 offseason, Liriano returned to his native
Liriano reported to spring training lighter than usual, and Twins coaches expressed guarded optimism that he had regained some of his 2006 form.[22] The Twins considered using him as a closer to replace the injured Joe Nathan, but instead he was named to the starting rotation.
Liriano got off to a fast start in 2010. In his first four starts for the Twins, he posted a 3–0 record with an 0.93 ERA and 27 strikeouts. On May 3, he was named the American League Pitcher of the Month for April.[23] Through May 18, he had posted a 4–2 record and a 2.63 ERA in seven starts, striking out 46 in 48 innings and not giving up a single home run.[24]
Liriano struggled from mid-May until the All-Star break, losing five of seven decisions. But after the break, he returned to his early season form. Over an eleven start stretch from July 16 (his first game after the All-Star break) to September 14, Liriano posted an 8–0 record to go along with a 2.41 ERA. Across this span, he limited hitters to a .227 batting average, struck out 72 in 71 innings against 25 walks, and gave up only two home runs. Liriano struggled in his final three starts of the season, however, losing all three outings and posting an ERA of 8.10.
Liriano finished 2010 fifth in the AL in
Liriano started Game 1 of the 2010 American League Division Series for the Twins. He received a no-decision after pitching 5+2⁄3 innings, allowing four earned runs on six hits while walking three and striking out seven.[29] The Twins lost Game 1 to the New York Yankees, 6–4, and were swept in three games, marking the end of Liriano's season. Liriano finished tied for eleventh in the voting for the American League Cy Young Award alongside Justin Verlander, receiving one fifth-place vote.[30]
2011
On February 5, 2011, Liriano signed a one-year, $4.3 million contract with the Twins, avoiding arbitration.
After the no-hitter, Liriano made several strong appearances, including an exceptional start on June 12 against the Texas Rangers. He retired the first 19 batters in order and didn't give up a hit until the eighth inning.[34] Liriano's performance faded later in 2011. After an exceptional outing against the New York Yankees, he left his next start on August 25 after just two innings.[35] He was placed on the disabled list later that day with a left shoulder strain.[36] On September 16, Liriano was activated from the disabled list, and was moved to the bullpen for the rest of the year.[37] Liriano finished the season with a record of 9–10 and an ERA of 5.09 in 26 games (24 starts).[1]
2012
Liriano pitched a four-strikeout inning in the fourth inning of the Twins' game against the Kansas City Royals on June 5, 2012.[38] On July 13, he struck out 15 batters in a loss to the Oakland Athletics, topping his career high of 12 strikeouts.[39] He caused 27 swing and misses, the highest number since 2007. In 22 games (17 starts) with the Twins in 2012 before he was traded, Liriano went 3–10 with a 5.31 ERA and 109 strikeouts.[1]
Chicago White Sox
On July 28, 2012, Liriano was traded to the Chicago White Sox in exchange for Eduardo Escobar and Pedro Hernández.[40] As Liriano struggled with the command of his pitches, the White Sox removed him from the rotation in September.[41] In 12 games (11 starts) with the White Sox, he went 3–2 with a 5.40 ERA.[1]
Pittsburgh Pirates
2013
Liriano agreed to a two-year contract with the
In the Pirates' first playoff game in 21 years, Liriano gave up one run and four hits in seven innings while earning the win as the Pirates defeated the
2014
Liriano struggled greatly in the first half of the season, going 1–7 with a 4.72 ERA in 15 starts at the All Star break. However, he reclaimed his dominance of 2013 in the second half of the season, going 6–3 with a 2.20 ERA in 14 starts to end the season.[50] Overall, Liriano posted another strong season in 2014, going 7–10 with a 3.38 ERA and 175 strikeouts in 29 starts.[1] On December 9, 2014, he re-signed with the Pirates on a three-year, $39 million contract.[51]
2015
Liriano continued his success from his previous seasons, striking out a career-high 205 and going 12–7 with a 3.38 ERA in 31 starts for the Pirates.[1] He led major league pitchers in lowest contact percentage (67.5%).[52] He also had the lowest zone percentage of all major league pitchers, with only 35.8% of his pitches being in the strike zone.[53]
2016
Liriano was named Opening Day starter for the Pirates for the third successive year.[54] However, he struggled throughout the season with bouts of wildness. In 21 starts with the Pirates, he pitched to a 6–11 record, 5.46 ERA, 116 strikeouts and 69 walks through 1132⁄3 innings.[1]
Toronto Blue Jays
On August 1, 2016, the Pirates traded Liriano along with
In the Wild Card game, Liriano entered in relief in the 10th inning and retired all five of the batters he faced. He took the win after Edwin Encarnación's walk-off home run in the eleventh inning.[59] During the eighth inning in the second game of the ALDS, Rangers outfielder Carlos Gómez hit a 102-mph line drive single that struck Liriano near the back of the head. He was taken to a local hospital for examination, and cleared to return to Toronto with his teammates.[60]
On June 25, 2017, Liriano earned the 100th win of his career in an 8–2 victory over the Kansas City Royals.[61]
Houston Astros
On July 31, 2017, the Blue Jays traded Liriano to the Houston Astros for Nori Aoki and Teoscar Hernández.[62] Liriano was moved from the rotation to the bullpen following his acquisition. He made 20 appearances out of the bullpen and finished with an 0–2 record with a 4.40 ERA.[1] Overall in 2017, Liriano made 38 appearances (18 starts), posting a 6–7 record and a 5.66 ERA.[1] The Astros finished the year with a 101–61 record (first in AL West), and eventually won the 2017 World Series.[63]
Detroit Tigers
On February 23, 2018, Liriano signed a one-year contract with the
Return to Pittsburgh
On February 4, 2019, Liriano agreed to a one-year minor league deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates.[69] On March 23, 2019, the Pirates announced that Liriano had made the opening day roster.[70] He was used exclusively as a relief pitcher during the season, posting a 5–3 record with a 3.47 ERA in 69 relief appearances, and he recorded 63 strikeouts in 70 innings.[1]
Later career
On January 22, 2020, Liriano signed a minor league deal with the Philadelphia Phillies.[71] He was released on July 18,[72] and on August 2, Liriano opted out of the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, although he had "multiple guaranteed offers" on the table.[73]
On February 2, 2021, Liriano signed a minor league contract with the Toronto Blue Jays, and was invited to spring training.[74] On March 29, 2021, Liriano was released by the Blue Jays after triggering his opt-out clause.[75]
On January 17, 2022, Liriano announced his retirement.[76]
Pitching style
As of 2012, Liriano is a four-pitch pitcher. To left-handed hitters he throws a
Liriano has been a strikeout pitcher throughout his career, averaging better than one strikeout per inning through the end of the 2019 season.[1]
Personal life
Liriano's arrival in the United States for 2008
See also
- List of Major League Baseball no-hitters
- List of Major League Baseball players from the Dominican Republic
- List of Major League Baseball single-inning strikeout leaders
- List of Minnesota Twins no-hitters
- List of Pittsburgh Pirates award winners and league leaders
- Minnesota Twins award winners and league leaders
References
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External links
- Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball Reference (Minors), or Retrosheet