McCullers (2-1) allowed one run on one hit and one walk while striking out 11 in Tuesday's 4-1 win over the Mariners.
McCullers, who was coming off the worst start of his career, had apparently heard enough about the problems he was having when opposing batters got a third look at him. Prior to Tuesday, the 14 batters seeing him a third time slashed .769/.786/1.308. On Tuesday, he retired all five Mariners that got a third look at him. He incorporated more changeups and two-seamers along with his signature curveball and produced his best game of the season. The lone blemish was Robinson Cano's first-inning home run -- McCullers went on to retire 19 of the final 20 batters faced. This altered approach is something he's been working on since spring training, but like changing any habit, it's not always comfortable. McCullers should take Tuesday's results to fuel his next start Sunday in Chicago against the White Sox.