Paul Maholm, whom the Atlanta Braves acquired from the Chicago Cubs at the trade deadline, isn't the flashiest or most high-profile pitcher in the world. However, he's been excellent in his first three starts in Atlanta, going 2-1 with a 1.57 ERA.
And after watching him handle the San Diego Padres on Wednesday, the good folks over at Talking Chop are impressed:
True to form, Maholm induced a lot of groundouts: eight of the first nine outs he recorded were on the ground. He took care of the rest on the mound, striking out seven in seven innings and inducing 13 groundouts; he allowed just five hits.
Ground ball pitchers, who generally don't have the type of stuff that leads to big strikeout totals, tend to be relatively late-bloomers. Maholm, at the age of 30, is having the best statistical season of his career.
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