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Princeton University Athletics
Young to Take Mound For Game 4 of MLB American League Championsip Series
October 20, 2015 | Baseball
TIGERS IN THE 2015 MLB PLAYOFFS
ESPN: CHRIS YOUNG TO GET THE BALL TUESDAYESPN: CHRIS YOUNG-R.A. DICKEY A UNIQUE INTELLECTUAL MOUND BATTLE IN ALCS
PRINCETON, N.J. – Holding a 2-1 lead over the Toronto Blue Jays in the American League Championship Series, the Kansas City Royals will turn the ball over to Princeton University baseball alumnus Chris Young with hopes of taking one step closer to the 2015 World Series.With first pitch slated for 4:07 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 20, Young will become the first-ever Princeton player to take the mound as a starting pitcher in a League Championship Series. As a member of the San Diego Padres on Oct. 7, 2006, Young became the only Princeton player to win a postseason game, tossing 6.2 shutout innings against the St. Louis Cardinals, allowing four hits while striking out nine in a 3-1 game three win in the National League Division Series.
Earlier this postseason, Young helped the Royals to a game one ALDS win over the Houston Astros, pitching four innings of shutout baseball. Taking over for starter Yordano Ventura following a lengthy rain delay, Young struck out six of the seven batters he faced, setting a new Royals postseason record with seven strikeouts by a relief pitcher.
Drafted in the third round (89th overall) of the 2000 MLB draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates, Young was a two-time first-team All-Ivy selection for the Tigers, posting the league's lowest ERA in 1999 and 2000. The conference's Rookie of the Year in 1999, he was an All-America selection the following season.
In 11 major league seasons, Young has posted a 76-58 record with a 3.69 earned run average. Making his MLB debut for the Rangers in 2004, he spent two seasons in Texas before enjoying a stellar five-year run with the San Diego Padres that included an All-Star selection in 2007. In those five seasons, Young went 33-25 with a 3.60 ERA.
Suffering a shoulder injury that landed him on the disabled list several times following the 2008 season, he played just 60 games over the next five years. Re-establishing himself last season, Young went 12-9 while posting a 3.65 ERA in 30 games for the Seattle Mariners, winning the American League Comeback Player of the Year award. Signing with the Royals this spring, Young is 11-6 on the year in 18 starts, posting a 3.06 ERA in 123.1 innings spread across 34 total appearances.
Game four of the 2015 ALCS will be broadcast on Fox Sports1. One of three former Tigers to be involved in the 2015 Major League Baseball postseason, read about the Texas Rangers' Will Venable and Ross Ohlendorf's playoff experiences here.