Snell of a Start: Ian Snell Impresses in Seattle Mariners Debut

When Ian Snell stepped to the mound on Sunday, it was perhaps the most important start of his career. After coming to Seattle from Pittsburgh, a franchise that hasn't had a winning season since 1992, Snell was pitching his first August start for a contender in his career. But more importantly, his six inning performance could be a very good momentum builder as the season comes to a close. The Mariners lost, but Snell left with the game tied at two. While it won't go down as a win on his record, he showed things unseen by Mariners right-handed pitchers not named Felix Hernandez. While Snell doesn't have incredible control, he showed tremendous command, causing fastballs to miss bats. He pitched like a starting pitcher, only reaching back when necessary, and keeping his emotions under control. Apart from a line-drive double, Snell's only two significant blemishes were two mistakes for which he paid, home runs by David Murphy and Michael Young, though Young's home r...