Central Heights Pitcher Grayson Rodriguez Finds His Groove Late In Angels Season

Grayson Rodriguez had another strong pitching performance for the Los Angeles Angels. Wednesday night, the Central Heights native went 5 2/3 innings, scattered 7 hits, struck out 4, and surrendered just 1 earned run. Unfortunately, the Angels bullpen gave up the lead in the top of the ninth, giving Cleveland a 4-3 victory and leaving Rodriguez with a no-decision outing.

Melina Pizano/Getty Images

Grayson's Recent Hot Streak

This has not been a good season for the Los Angeles Angels. They currently sit in last place in the American League's West Division with a record of 52-82. This has also not been the season that Grayson Rodriguez was hoping to have in his first season for the Angels. He has been battling injuries since the start of the season, and his earned run average (ERA) has been over 8 for much of the year. For those unfamiliar with baseball stats, an ERA that high is a problem.

However, Rodriguez has been trending in the right direction as of late. Over his last 6 starts, his ERA is a very respectable 3.03. Over his last 2 starts, his ERA is a phenomenal 0.71. If Grayson can continue to pitch like this to close out the season and stay healthy in the process, I believe you could call this a successful year for the Nacogdoches County pitcher. It says a lot for Grayson to battle through injuries and a very slow start, and then overcome all that with the excellent performances he's been recently posting.

Here's hoping that Rodriguez can finish the year strong, and then use that to build momentum into the offseason.