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McKenzie hits double-digits in K's again
Indians No. 2 prospect pads Minors-best strikeout total with 10
Triston McKenzie is coming to the finish line in a season in which he's led the Minor Leagues in strikeouts while posting a career high in innings pitched.
Cleveland's No. 2 prospect fanned 10 over seven innings as Class A Advanced Lynchburg topped Potomac, 5-1, on Thursday night at Calvin Falwell Field. McKenzie gave up one run on five hits and didn't walk a batter as he won for the third time in five starts without a loss.
"I'm feeling really good, just kind of glad I went out there and competed for my team and gave us an opportunity to win," MLB.com's No. 24 overall prospect. "It's just kind of being on the same page as my catcher [Martin Cervenka] and being on the same page as my coach [Rigo Beltran]. It's going out there with an intensity from pitch one."
McKenzie (12-6) threw 64 of 91 pitches for strikes and lasted seven innings for the second time this month and the fifth time since July 4.
"I'd say it's a big part of my success right now," the right-hander said of working with Cervenka. "It aids in different things, especially with my game, speed of play and stuff like that. It kind of lets me focus less on what pitches to call and more on just executing the pitches he puts down."
McKenzie amassed 21 punchouts over his last two starts, giving him a Minor League-leading 186 over 143 innings in the Class A Advanced Carolina League. After recording a 1.62 ERA and a 0.96 WHIP in 15 starts for Class A Short Season Mahoning Valley and Class A Lake County in 2016, McKenzie has stayed on track with a 3.46 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP in 25 outings with the Hillcats this year. He was named the circuit's Pitcher of the Year earlier Thursday.
"It's just a lot of off-field stuff, in the weight room too," he said. "My routine is coming in every day and whether I pitch or I'm throwing a bullpen or whether I'm working out that day or coming in to throw, it's just making sure things stay consistent from Day 1 until the last day of the season."
After setting down seven of the first eight batters, McKenzie found himself in trouble in the third inning. Bryan Mejia laced a shot up the middle that was deflected to center field by second baseman Claudio Bautista and No. 10 Nationals prospect Daniel Johnson ripped a double to center. Jack Sundberg plated Mejia with a groundout, but the No. 42 overall pick in 2015 limited the damage by fanning Ian Sagdal.
"I'd say it was a long inning beforehand. I didn't come out and pound the strike zone like I had earlier in the game," McKenzie said. "I think I put them into good counts and ... they're professional hitters. They made timely swings, they made timely hits and they drove the run in."
The 6-foot-5, 165-pound righty stayed in control for the rest of the outing, allowing two singles over his final four frames. After whiffing 24th-ranked Washington prospect Jakson Reetz and Dale Carey to end the seventh, McKenzie locked up his sixth double-digit strikeout game of the season.
While the Florida high school product credits mixing up his pitches and speeds to keep Potomac off balance, he also believes the third frame helped him stay in control through the remainder of the outing.
"I hold on to it so it doesn't happen again. I always focus and make sure that I make quality pitches after that," McKenzie said. "[Going deep into the game] is something big for me, especially with playoffs coming up. We just want our bullpen to be fresh, and on the other hand, I always want to go out there and throw a complete game.
"If I can't do that, I want to go deep into the game as possible, which means I'm competing and giving my team the best chance to win."
Ben Krauth issued two walks with two strikeouts over the final two innings for his fourth save in as many chances.
Bautista belted his sixth homer and Mitch Longo added three singles for Lynchburg.