Porcello has good day!

Subject: Porcello has good day! Fri Apr 04, 2008 12:57 am

Porcello dazzles in pro debut
Detroit's top pick tosses five scoreless innings as Lakeland wins opener, 4-1
By Kevin T. Czerwinski / MLB.com

Lakeland's Rick Porcello yielded just one hit over five scoreless innings in his pro debut. (Cliff Welch/MLB.com)

TAMPA, Fla. -- Rick Porcello's first professional pitch, a fastball strike, crackled over home plate at George M. Steinbrenner Field shortly after 7 p.m. Thursday night.
He delivered his 71st and final offering, also a fastball, just over an hour later, and the result was the same. In between, Porcello was mostly dominant, tossing five shutout innings as Lakeland opened its Florida State League season with a 4-1 victory over Tampa.

Porcello (1-0), Detroit's top pick in last June's First-Year Player Draft (27th overall), allowed just one hit, an infield single in the second inning. He struck out three, walked two and hit a batter. The 19-year-old right-hander struggled to get through the fifth, needing 22 pitches to complete the inning.

"It's always nice to get your first pro win," Porcello said. "For me it was definitely nice. I'm looking forward to getting some more. I was a little nervous in the bullpen, but when I got out on the field, I felt OK. As I started throwing, I got better and better. I wasn't bothered at all."

It took Porcello nine pitches and less than three minutes to make it through the first. Tampa managed three weak ground balls, the last of which was a Mitch Hilligoss comebacker to Porcello. The entire Lakeland squad was on the top step of the dugout waiting for the teenager as he came off the field.

Edwar Gonzalez led off the second by squibbing a 1-2 fastball between the mound and the third-base line. Porcello bounded off the hill, fielded the ball and made an off-balance throw that Gonzalez just beat out for Tampa's only hit against him. He made Seth Fortenberry his first strikeout victim before retiring Josue Calzado and Kyle Anson to strand Gonzalez.

"[Porcello] pitched very well," Lakeland manager Andy Barkett said. "He was poised out there. He might have been nervous but if he was, you couldn't tell. He does everything very well. He didn't seem like a 19-year-old kid out there. You really couldn't ask for anything more from him. Whether he's 19 or 25, to get five strong innings like that in your pro debut is impressive."

Porcello hadn't gone to a full count prior to the fifth, but walked Anson with one out. He appeared to be on his way out of trouble when he got first baseman Kevin Smith to hit a grounder. But Lakeland shortstop Cale Iorg bobbled what appeared to be an easy double-play ball and was only able to register a fielder's choice at second base. Porcello then walked Tim Battle, whom he had hit with a pitch in the third.

A visit from pitching coach Joe Coleman seemed to calm Porcello down. After Damon Sublett took him to another full count, he struck out the second baseman to end the threat. Even if Porcello, whose fastball was in the low 90s for much of the evening with a high of 94, had breezed through the inning, it would have been his last. He was on a 75-pitch limit or five innings, whichever came first.

"I wasn't tired in the fifth inning," said Porcello, who was also charged with an error on a pick-off throw after hitting Battle. "My arm slot just dropped a little bit. I started to lose control a little. I just have to go back out there and get after it.

"Joe said to bear down and go after the last hitter. It wasn't exactly pretty, but I got him. I walked a couple of guys and lost some control. It's something I have to work on, but otherwise everything went pretty well."

Barkett indicated that had Porcello not been on a count, he would have pitched deeper into the game despite his fifth-inning struggles.

"Joe Coleman went out there and let him know what adjustments to make," Barkett said. "It was impressive that he was able to make the adjustment and get through the inning. I wouldn't say he was out of gas. He had enough left to go another inning."

The Tigers snapped a scoreless tie in the top of the sixth by scoring three times off Tampa starter Eric Hacker (0-1). Ryan Strieby's RBI single put Lakeland ahead before Brennan Boesch connected for a two-run double. Iorg added an RBI triple in the seventh.
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There are three things in my life which I really love: God, my family, and baseball. The only problem - once baseball season starts, I change the order around a bit. ~Al Gallagher, 1971

Subject: Re: Porcello has good day! Fri Apr 04, 2008 1:45 am

Leave him where he is Tigers, leave him alone pray

Subject: Re: Porcello has good day! Fri Apr 04, 2008 2:05 am

At least Lakeland Tigers are doing awesomely!
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There are three things in my life which I really love: God, my family, and baseball. The only problem - once baseball season starts, I change the order around a bit. ~Al Gallagher, 1971

Subject: Re: Porcello has good day! Fri Apr 04, 2008 5:00 am

who knows, maybe Porcello would be an addition if another someone in the pen gets injured.....
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"We only work three hours a day, so the least we can do is give 100 percent."

Todd Jones

Subject: Re: Porcello has good day! Fri Apr 04, 2008 7:04 am

hope they keep him in mind!
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There are three things in my life which I really love: God, my family, and baseball. The only problem - once baseball season starts, I change the order around a bit. ~Al Gallagher, 1971

Subject: Re: Porcello has good day! Fri Apr 04, 2008 7:05 am

I hope they keep him where he is pray

Subject: Re: Porcello has good day! Fri Apr 04, 2008 7:23 am

why? he a superb pitcher, and if he did good in ST on a major league-ish level (yes, ish, not all of em were starters) and if someone got injured i would look forward to seeing him in the pen
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"We only work three hours a day, so the least we can do is give 100 percent."

Todd Jones

Subject: Re: Porcello has good day! Fri Apr 04, 2008 7:37 am

Subject: Re: Porcello has good day! Fri Apr 04, 2008 7:37 am

Subject: Re: Porcello has good day! Fri Apr 04, 2008 7:40 am

Good news...

The White Caps, Mud Hens, and Tigers (I am NOT calling them Flying Tigers) are all 1-0.

Between the minors and majors we're reasonably respectable at 3-3 this year. Too bad one team has all 3 losses rant

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Coming soon: A better signature!

Subject: Re: Porcello has good day! Fri Apr 04, 2008 7:42 am

ok, i see your point, but i would like to see him in one major league outing this year, just to see how he does, soo if he can compete in the majors
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"We only work three hours a day, so the least we can do is give 100 percent."

Todd Jones

Subject: Re: Porcello has good day! Fri Apr 04, 2008 7:43 am

it's worth a shot at this point!
_________________
There are three things in my life which I really love: God, my family, and baseball. The only problem - once baseball season starts, I change the order around a bit. ~Al Gallagher, 1971

Subject: Re: Porcello has good day! Fri Apr 04, 2008 8:05 am

Subject: Re: Porcello has good day! Fri Apr 04, 2008 11:21 am

Subject: Re: Porcello has good day! Fri Apr 04, 2008 11:26 am

Subject: Re: Porcello has good day! Fri Apr 04, 2008 11:33 am

_________________
There are three things in my life which I really love: God, my family, and baseball. The only problem - once baseball season starts, I change the order around a bit. ~Al Gallagher, 1971

Subject: Re: Porcello has good day! Mon Apr 14, 2008 1:56 am

Tigers stud prospect Rick Porcello has 0.64 ERA in minors
FREE PRESS STAFF AND NEWS SERVICES • April 14, 2008

Tigers No. 1 prospect Rick Porcello is pitching well in the Tigers' minor league system, though it's not necessarily translating into wins.

Porcello is 1-2 with Class A Lakeland after losing Sunday night's game, 5-0, to Clearwater.

The 19-year-old took the loss despite giving up just one earned run in four innings. He gave up four hits, walked two and struck out five.

That was his weakest performance in an otherwise stunning start.

His ERA is a stingy 0.64.

In his first two games, the 6-foot 5-inch, 200-pound right-hander had seven strikeouts, two walks and five hits allowed in 10 innings.

• In his professional debut April 3, he earned the win with five shutout innings, allowing one hit, striking out three and walking two.

• Five days later, he took the loss despite giving up no earned runnings and just four hits in five innings. He struck out four and walked none. He lost because of four unearned runs as his team committed five errors.

It's unlikely the Tigers would call up Porcello, their first-round pick last year, straight from Class A. Last season, Cameron Maybin was a surprise call-up, but he was promoted to Double-A Erie for a few games before coming to the majors.

Porcello, 19, also is three years younger than Justin Verlander was at the start of his first full professional season. Verlander had three years of collegiate experience at Old Dominion University before he was drafted.

But during spring training, Tigers assistant general manager Al Avila acknowledged that everything about Porcello -- his composure, his maturity, his command, and the quality of his pitches -- points to a pitcher who is close to the major leagues.
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There are three things in my life which I really love: God, my family, and baseball. The only problem - once baseball season starts, I change the order around a bit. ~Al Gallagher, 1971

Subject: Re: Porcello has good day! Mon Apr 21, 2008 5:44 am

FLORIDA STATE LEAGUE
Hacker Outduels Porcello in a Battle of Aces
By DAVID YATES
LEDGER CORRESPONDENT

TAMPA | Yankee right-hander Eric Hacker outdueled Flying Tiger ace Rick Porcello as Tampa defeated Lakeland, 3-0, in Florida State League baseball game at Steinbrenner Field on Saturday night.

Porcello, Detroit's first pick in the 2007 draft, came out on top when the same two pitchers faced off on opening day, but the Flying Tigers mustered only one hit in six innings against Hacker Saturday.

Tampa didn't fare much better against Porcello, but did scratch out runs in the first and third innings against the 19-year-old New Jersey right-hander.

Damon Sublett led off the game for the Yankees with a triple and scored immediately on Chris Kunda's single.

In the third, Kyle Anson's infield single with the bases loaded made it 2-0, Tampa.

Porcello was his own worst enemy, hitting Edwar Gonzalez and walking Seth Fortenberry before Anson's hit.

Porcello finished his six-inning outing strong, retiring the last 10 men he faced, but still saw his record drop to 1-3 despite a 1.35 ERA.

Hacker, a 23rd round pick in 2002, evened his record at 1-1 and lowered his own ERA to 1.04.

Over his last 20 innings, the 25-year-old Texan has allowed no runs and three hits, while striking out 16 and walking one.

The Flying Tigers (8-8) will now travel to Fort Myers for three games before returning to Joker Marchant Stadium to face West Division-leading Dunedin on Wednesday night at 7.
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