McCullers allowed one unearned run on two hits and two walks while striking out four over seven innings in Saturday's 2-1 loss to the Angels in Anaheim.
McCullers bucked a career trend of pitching poorly on the road, using a different mix to stymie the Angels. He threw more fastballs and changeups relative to his power curve with the changeup being a difference-maker. The result was more of a pitch-to-contact approach and fewer strikeouts than normal. He was able to throw the changeup below the zone and induced a season-high 11 groundouts to just two flyball outs. McCullers lowered his career road ERA from 5.32 to 4.95, a mark that's easier to look at but still stands in stark contrast to his 2.11 ERA at Minute Maid Park in Houston. McCullers' next start will be another road outing, either Thursday or Friday, in New York to face the hot-hitting Yankees.