'I'm just not able to execute the way you're supposed to. I'm not my best right now. I'm not executing my pitches, I'm not commanding the fastball,' Santana said, according to WFUV's Amit Badlani. 'I'm just going through a tough time, that's all it is. Call it whatever. They've been swinging the bat pretty good, but I'm not on my game right now, I think.'
Since tossing his no-hitter on June 1, Santana is 3-5 with a 6.54 ERA and has allowed 11 home runs in eight starts.
The 11 home runs over that span are the most in the National League.
'That no-hitter stuff was a long time ago. I don't think that has anything to do with it,' Santana said. 'It's just that I'm going through tough times. Call it a slump or whatever it is. I'm just going through tough times. That's about it. I'm ok.'
Santana fell to 6-7 with a 3.98 ERA in 110 2/3 innings over 19 starts this season.
'We're going to talk about alternatives, what we might try to do to see if we can get some energy back in his arm,' Collins said after the game. 'Obviously, when you talk about options, all those things will be brought up. Do you skip him one start? If you put him on the DL, you're talking two starts. Certainly all those things are going to be talked about.''
Michael Baron: I think Santana is healthy ' if he wasn't he wouldn't be out there at this point. I don't even know if the no-hitter is a direct cause of these problems, or he's just going through a period of dead arm, poor mechanics or both. But at the end of the day, it's just not happening for Santana right now and he is an ineffective pitcher. The ball coming out of the hand has very little life to it, whether it's a fastball, slider, or change-up. He's throwing his fastball between 86-90 mph, but it's straight as an arrow and he's just not getting that patented movement on his change-up. Most of his pitches are up ' evident by the 11 home runs he's allowed in the last seven weeks ' and, when he gets ahead in the count, he's having trouble putting hitters away. As a result, he's throwing a lot of pitches under duress and getting knocked out early in his outings.
It might not be the worst thing in the world for Santana to skip a start. He did have a long lay off during the All-Star Break, but he could use the extra time to rest, study his mechanics and see if he can get his season back on track. If there is any hope for this club, it starts and ends with the starting pitching ' they simply will not survive without a healthy and productive Santana every five days. Who might start in his place is a question for another day'
Last night on Twitter, Patrick Flood asked an interesting question: 'The devil offers you a trade: You can get effective Johan back, but you have to surrender the no-hitter. Yes or no?' I said it at the time of the no-hitter, and I'll say it again: I think Terry Collins made the no-brainer choice to leave Santana in and allow him to complete the no-hitter. But I would gladly trade any individual achievement for a World Championship'
To listen to Santana's entire talk with reporters, click the 'play' button below:
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