Carlos Silva

Infobox MLB player


width = 300
name=Carlos Silva
position=Starting pitcher
team=Seattle Mariners
number=52
bats=Right
throws=Right
birthdate=birth date and age|1979|4|23
birthplace=Bolívar, Venezuela
debutdate=April 1
debutyear=2002
debutteam=Philadelphia Phillies
statyear=2008 season
stat1label=Win-Loss
stat1value=59-61
stat2label=Earned run average
stat2value=4.61
stat3label=Strikeouts
stat3value=464
teams=
*Philadelphia Phillies (by|2002-by|2003)
*Minnesota Twins (by|2004-by|2007)
*Seattle Mariners (by|2008-present)

Carlos Silva (born April 23, 1979 in Bolívar, Venezuela) is a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who plays for the Seattle Mariners. Previously, he played for the Philadelphia Phillies (mlby|2002-mlby|2003) and Minnesota Twins (mlby|2004-mlby|2007). He bats and throws right-handed.

The Twins acquired Silva from Philadelphia along with Nick Punto and Bobby Korecky in exchange for Eric Milton, who had been a staple of the Minnesota rotation since mlby|1998. In May mlby|2006, Silva was demoted to the bullpen after struggling through the beginning of the season. In June, he re-entered the rotation when the struggling #5 starter, Scott Baker, was demoted to the Twins' Triple-A team in Rochester.

With the Twins, Silva made a successful conversion from reliever to starter, for one of the biggest surprises in the 2004 season. He posted a 14-8 mark in 203 innings pitched and finished second in the rotation behind Cy Young winner Johan Santana. In mlby|2005, he set the record for fewest walks allowed per 9 innings in the modern era with an average of .43 BB/9 innings. On May 20, 2005, Silva set a record since mlby|1957 for the fewest pitches thrown (74) in a nine-inning complete game. [cite web |url=http://www.baseball-reference.com/pi/shareit/ptUB |title=From 1957 to 2007, Complete Game, sorted by smallest pitches in a single game |accessdate=2008-08-10 |work=Baseball-Reference |publisher= |date=]

In 2006, he gave up a major-league-worst 1.90 home runs per 9 innings, and had a major-league-worst batting average against of .326. [cite web |url=http://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=all&stats=pit&lg=all&qual=y&type=1&season=2006 |title=Baseball Leaderboard |accessdate=2008-08-10 |work=Fangraphs.com |publisher= |date= ]

Through 2006, Silva posted a 42-32 record with 306 strikeouts and a 4.35 ERA in 743 innings. In 2007, Silva started as the fifth starter behind Johan Santana, Boof Bonser, Ramon Ortiz, and Sidney Ponson. In his first start of 2007, against the Chicago White Sox, he gave up 5 hits in five-innings and one earned run. His son Justin Emmanuel was born on June 12, 2007, just an hour after teammate Juan Rincón's son was born. On December 20, 2007, he signed a four-year contract with the Seattle Mariners believed to be somewhere between $44 million and $48 million. [cite web |url=http://seattle.mariners.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20071220&content_id=2334594&vkey=news_sea&fext=.jsp&c_id=sea |title=Mariners ink Silva to four-year deal |accessdate=2008-08-10 |work=MLB.com |publisher= |date= ]

Silva throws a low-nineties sinking fastball, a slider, a changeup, and a splitter. He is known for his relatively quick pace, as he takes very short breaks between pitches, so as to return quickly to the dugout and its ample food supplies. A ground ball pitcher, Silva has excellent command of his pitches, and walks very few batters.

References

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