ESPN the Magazine asked me to visit Michael Pineda back in May when the Mariners were in Baltimore playing the Orioles.
"When I knew" featuring Michael Pineda
Only 22, Pineda is learning how to speak English, so we did the interview in a mix of English and Spanish. He turned out to be eager to tell his story about this big game in the minors four years ago when he pitched a complete game one-hitter with 14 strikeouts.
This season, Pineda has been one of the revelations in the American League, posting a 7-4 record with 85 strikeouts in just over 88 innings for the Mariners.