PITTSBURGH — Rookie Jeff Locke will have one more chance to impress the Pirates organization this season by taking the mound in Milwaukee on Wednesday, the final game of the 2011 season.
The left-hander allowed one run on six hits over 4.2 innings in his third Major League start against the Cincinnati Reds on Friday. He walked two and struck out one.
Over three big league starts, Locke has gone 0-2 with a 4.97 ERA.
Locke said after his last outing that first pitch strikes is still something that he needs to improve upon. Locke will take the bump looking for his first Major League win against the National League Central Champs, the Milwaukee Brewers.
“You’ve got to find a way to get ahead of those guys,“ Locke said. “It’s easier when you can fill it up earlier and then expand from there. Definitely need to fill it up early and get ahead of guys and it will take care of itself.”
Locke, 23, who was ranked as the Pirates No. 8 best prospect in the system prior to the 2011 season by Baseball America, went 8-10 with a 3.70 ERA in 28 combined appearances this year between Double-A Altoona and Triple-A Indianapolis.
The Pirates have gone 36-38 against their division rivals this season, 19-18 on the road. They have won two of the last three games against the Brewers after losing each of the first eight meetings.
Photo credit: Yahoo! Sports
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