Bowden Struggles

Bowden's rough outing last night, in which he lasted just 1 inning giving up 6 runs, signals the kind of problems Bowden has been having this year. In his 5 minor league seasons, Bowden has maintained a K-BB ratio of 3.30, but this year its down to 1.72. His K/9 are down from his average of 8.2 to just 5.9 while his walks are up nearly 1 per 9 innings (3.5 BB/9 this season). Bowden's FIP this season is 4.21, although his BABIP remains low at .250. Bowden's GB/AO rate is also near career lows at .60.

Its appears the problem lies with his lack of strikeouts and increase in walks. As with any strikeout pitcher, K's and and control are key, and right now Bowden is lacking both. This could be more of a mechanical issue than anything else.