Salas Throws Complete Game Against Fernandez, Hammerheads
 |
| Javi Salas 6/17/15 |
On a night
when the Brevard County Manatees faced one of the Major League’s best pitchers
in Jose Fernandez, Javi Salas stole the show, throwing a
complete game for the Manatees and earning a 2-1 victory over the Jupiter
Hammerheads on Wednesday.
 |
| Jose Fernandez - 6/17/15 |
Fernandez,
who is rehabbing from Tommy John Surgery, will be back with the Marlins on July
2, but on this night he was showing the stuff that made him the 2013 Rookie of
the Year. He threw 4.2 innings on Wednesday, striking out 10, walking one and
allowing four hits.
“When
you’re facing guys like that, you’re gonna be geared up,” said Manatees manager
Joe Ayrault. “You face rehabbers in this league all the time. Spring training,
you’re getting ready and they love facing guys like that, big names, especially
like him. You dial up your game and lock it in a little bit more.”
The only
mistake Fernandez made was when he threw Michael Ratterree a second inning change-up
that went sailing high and deep over the left-centerfield wall. The long ball
was estimated at 387-feet.
“I’m
just glad it wasn’t his 97 fastball,” said Ratterree of the home run pitch from
Fernandez. “Something a little slower, but I guess I just put a good swing on
it and tried to be aggressive against him.”
“The kid
(Ratterree) put a pretty good swing on it,” Fernandez said of the homer. “It
was a good change-up and he put a pretty good swing on it. That happens, that’s
baseball. That’s why you gotta stay humble.”
The homer
by Ratterree was the only run Fernandez would allow. His velocity was in the
high 90’s all night, with five pitches registering 99 MPH on the Space Coast
Stadium radar.
"The
stuff was there, really happy with my stuff and location," Fernandez said.
"There was a couple of pitches that I didn't want there, but that is
baseball and that is something I will work on and try to become perfection on
the mound."
The
Hammerheads (32-34) tied things up in the top of the third. Chris Hoo doubled
and was sacrificed to third on a successful bunt by Fernandez. He got the bunt
down, despite being down in the count 0-2. Yefri Perez plated Hoo with a
sacrifice fly to center, tying things at 1-1.
 |
| Michael Ratterree Home Run 6/17/15 |
The
Manatees (29-36) would break the tie in the sixth inning, against reliever Matt
Milroy. Clint Coulter w a one-out walk and was chased home on a double by
Garrett Cooper.
Salas
(6-4) was cruising along, until the seventh inning when he faced some
adversity, not of his own doing. Shortstop Stephen Halcomb committed three
errors in the inning, but was bailed out on the first one by a double play
grounder hit by Justin Bohn. Yuniel Ramirez followed, hitting another ball that
eluded Halcomb. Chris Hoo hit a ball to third and Taylor Brennan fielded it,
but the runners were safe. Halcomb redeemed himself, when pinch-hitter Harold
Riggins grounded one that Halcomb fielded and tossed to second, to get the
force and end the inning.
Salas went
on to retire the last six Hammerheads he faced, finishing off his first career
complete game.
“That kid
just knows how to pitch,” said Ayrault. Very experienced, plus-sinker, mixes
his pitches and lets his defense do the work. We had some big double-plays in
that game, had a couple errors and the next pitch… bam, he got another ground
ball to get out of some jams.”
“It took
90 pitches for Salas to get through the game, but he knew he had to have a game
like that, facing someone like Fernandez.
"I
know Jose a little bit from high school and we have mutual friends in Miami so
when I saw that I was facing off against him I told all my buddies and my
parents and it was something I looked forward to," he said. "I knew
the way he was throwing I had to put up some zeroes and keep my team in the
ball game."
 |
| Javi Salas - 6/17/15 |
Salas
credited his defense as well, for making plays behind him. “It’s fun to pitch
in those kinds of games when the defense is involved,” he said. “You’re getting
ground balls and it’s a fun atmosphere. I just like to keep the guys going,
keep the game moving and have a good tempo.”
These two
teams meet again Thursday in the final game of the four-game set. It is also
the final game before the All-Star break. Righty Brandon Woodruff (1-4, 4.74
ERA) will pitch for the Manatees, against Jose Adames. (1-1, 3.48 ERA). Game
time is scheduled for 6:35 p.m.
This article originally appeared on the now defunct Examiner.com on 6/17/15
Comments
Post a Comment