ERIE, Pa. -- Beau Burrows has been known to find another gear with his fastball when he gets into a tight spot. On this particular July afternoon, he downshifted.
"[Burrows] could go out there and throw fastballs and have success. I do believe that," Double-A manager Andrew Graham said. "And he did it when I had him last year in Lakeland. But he's got to develop his offspeed pitches."
Burrows went to the breaking ball in a hitters' count, a 2-1 pitch after back-to-back one-out walks. He hadn't allowed a hit at that point, but his fastball was sailing out of the strike zone, and hitters weren't chasing.