ESPN the Magazine asked me to visit Michael Pineda back in May when the Mariners were in Baltimore playing the Orioles.
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.