Logan Gilbert is quiet, unassuming kid that is often seen but not heard before games, carrying an assortment of implements including a double-handled medicine ball he fills with water, to help him prepare for each start. He was a 4.0 student in college and is engaged to be married this offseason. Even with his long curly locks, he’s seems more real estate salesman than right-handed power pitcher.
“Walter” is the admitted alter ego for Gilbert, who first appeared in his days at Stetson before he was a Mariners’ first-round pick in 2014 draft. The edgy, nasty personality he assumes on the days he pitches. There are no smiles. There are no free rides. The plate belongs to Walter and he’ll put a fastball under your chin to establish that territory. The scraggly goatee that has adorned Gilbert’s normally hairless face is all Walter.
On Tuesday night, A.J. Pollock, the White Sox and many unaware fans in attendance and watching, got a memorable introduction to Gilbert and his dual personalities in the Mariners’ 3-0 win over the White Sox.
Making his 28th start of the season and getting the bare minimum of run support possible while he was in the game, Gilbert tossed six shutout innings, allowing five hits with no walks and nine strikeouts to improve to 12-5. He threw 101 pitches in the game, 62 were strikes including 18 swings and misses.
But it was the 101st pitch and 18th whiff that might be the most memorable of the outing. Going into what was likely his final inning due to a pitch count, Gilbert found trouble in the sixth inning. He allowed a two-out laser of a double to Jose Abreu and another hard line drive single to center to Eloy Jimenez to put runners on the corners.
It drew a mound visit from pitching coach Pete Woodworth where Gilbert stared at him or through him as if to say, “why are you here?”
After the visit, Gilbert struck out Gavin Sheets on four fastballs, none of them less than 97 mph. It brought to the plate Pollock, a veteran hitter who had homered on Monday. Gilbert used a first-pitch fastball to get ahead, tossed two sliders one for a ball and one for a check swing strike to push the count to 1-2.
With a boisterous crowd of 17,958 standing, Gilbert reared back and fired a 99 mph fastball at the top of the strike zone that Pollock waved at feebly for strike three.
AS the crowd roared, all of “Walter” came out of Gilbert in a primal and animated yell, he screamed “Let’s go! Let’s go!” before stalking off the mound and heading to the dugout to his approving teammates.
After scoreless frames from Matt Brash and Andres Munoz in relief, Gilbert’s close friend roommate, Cal Raleigh, provided the big hit that had missing all night.
Following Sam Haggerty’s walk to start the ninth inning, Raleigh blasted a ball into the right field stands for his 23rd homer of the season and a 3-0 lead.
Paul Sewald worked scoreless ninth inning for his 18th save of the season.
Chicago’s Johnny Cueto took the loss despite allowing just one run in six-plus innings of work.
The Mariners grabbed that 1-0 lead, or perhaps more correctly, the White Sox gave them a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning.
Ty France led off with a double to right field, accelerating to second when the ball bounced off the padding in foul territory. Mitch Haniger followed with a deep fly ball to right field. France tagged up and took off for third base. Right fielder Sheets was able to make a strong throw after the catch, but it was wide of the base and third baseman Yoan Moncada made a disinterested attempt to glove it. The ball got by him and past Cueto, who was backing up on the play.
The ball bounced off a TV camera in the camera well behind third base, which is out of play. France was awarded home on the throwing error.