• Box score
• Brett Anderson's stats • Chris Farley's player page • Audio: Anderson fans a career-best 10 • Check out Stockton's schedule Regardless of the uniform he's wearing, Brett Anderson seems to pitch well in Visalia. Facing his former team, Anderson tied a career high with 10 strikeouts as the visiting Stockton Ports shut out the Visalia Oaks, 4-0. The left-hander allowed just two hits and lowered his ERA to 2.43 in his sixth start for Stockton. Chris Farley allowed one hit over the final two innings to solidify the combined three-hitter for the Ports' league-best 20th win. It was Anderson's first appearance in Visalia since he started for the Oaks -- against the Ports -- on Sept. 2 of last season. He struck out three in two scoreless frames. The former high school All-American was in a different uniform, dugout and surrounded by some suddenly less-than-supportive Visalia fans Thursday. The southpaw, who struck out nine against Rancho Cucamonga on April 20, has 36 strikeouts in 33 1/3 innings this season. He has 21 strikeouts in his last three starts and has allowed just one home run and seven walks this season. Opponents are batting just .214 against Anderson this season, his second since leaving high school in Stillwater, Okla. The 21-year-old was the Diamondbacks' second-round pick in 2006. He went a combined 11-7 with a 3.07 ERA in 23 starts last season for Class A South Bend and Class A Advanced Visalia. He wrapped up his first professional season with the Oaks, but was traded by Arizona along with five others to Oakland for Dan Haren and Connor Robertson on Dec. 14. The change of clubs has worked out well for both sides so far. Anderson leads the California League in wins and ranks third in strikeouts behind teammate Trevor Cahill (39) and High Desert's Kyle Parker (37). In fact, Anderson has more wins and seven more strikeouts than Haren in one less inning. The Texas native set a career high with 10 strikeouts for South Bend in a win over Beloit on May 10. A Midwest League All-Star as a rookie, Anderson was promoted to Visalia last June 25 and went 3-3 with a 4.85 ERA in nine starts for the Oaks. First-place Stockton (20-8) staked Anderson to a 1-0 lead in the third inning when Matthew Sulentic scored on Sean Doolittle's double-play grounder. The Ports scored three more for their starter in the sixth when Josh Horton raced home on a wild pitch and Jermaine Mitchell and Darryl Lawhorn added RBI singles. The Oaks (13-15) lost for the fourth time in five days. Visalia starter Eddie Romero (1-4) allowed all four runs on nine hits and a walk in six innings for the loss. Joseph Batten doubled in the first, William Musselman singled in the third and Manuel Ferrer singled in the ninth for the Oaks. Anderson's effort was duplicated by San Jose's Ben Snyder, who also struck out 10. The left-hander allowed an unearned run on two hits in six frames in the High Desert Mavericks' 6-5 win over the Giants on Thursday. Danny Wild is a contributor to MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs. |
