Right-hander Gerrit Cole made his third start for the Arizona Fall League on Wednesday, not giving up a hit to the Scottsdale Scorpions in the Mesa Solar Sox 10-5 win.
Cole, the first overall pick in the 2011 draft by Pittsburgh, tossed 3.2 hitless innings allowing one run (unearned) with one walk and four strikeouts.
Cole cruised through the first two innings, retiring all six batters he faced, including striking out two swinging in the 2nd. Cole allowed his first base runner with two outs in the 3rd, a walk to Boston’s prospect Ryan Dent before picking up his fourth strikeout to end the frame. Cole took the mound in the 4th inning, the deepest he has pitched in his two prior starts. With one out, San Francisco’s Brandon Crawford reached first on a fielding error by Pirates second baseman prospect Jarek Cunningham. After retiring his next batter, Cole was pulled from the game due to his pitch count.
Right-hander Marcus Hatley from the Chicago Cubs organization came on in relief and allowed a single and a three-run homer before getting out of the 4th. Dent scored but the run was unearned for Cole.
Cole threw 54 pitches, 36 strikes in his third professional start in the AFL to pick up his second win.
The Pirates also had three prospects in the lineup for Mesa on Wednesday.
Robbie Grossman, who played right field, went 0-for-4 with a walk and a strikeout. Cunningham, who played second base, went 2-for-4 with two runs, a double and a RBI. Brock Holt, who played shortstop, went 1-for-4 with a RBI.
Photo credit: MILB
Discussion about this post