Wilkerson fires six scoreless innings

Aaron Wilkerson's role may be unclear, but he's willing to do whatever it takes to stay on the fast track to the Majors.

Back in the rotation Wednesday evening, the Red Sox right-hander showed he can handle the workload of a frontline starter.

Wilkerson scattered two hits and a walk while striking out seven batters over six innings in the Class A Advanced Salem Red Sox's 7-0 win over the host Wilmington Blue Rocks on Wednesday evening.

"I felt pretty good," he said. "I had a lot more movement on my pitches than I've had in the past. A little different arm slot today, but it seemed to work out OK.

"I'm usually pretty over the top, but today I was more three-quarters and not so much on top of the ball. I have no clue why, it just kind of happened. I felt more comfortable than being on top. It was just some mechanical flaw that worked out OK."

Wilkerson (3-0) threw 64 of 91 pitches for strikes and induced four ground-ball outs in lowering his Carolina League ERA to 1.55.

The Fort Worth, Texas native was perfect through the first four innings before walking Cody Stubbs to lead off the fifth.

The Blue Rocks recorded their first hit off Wilkerson an inning later when Carlos Garcia ripped a two-out single to right field. Ramon Torres followed with a base hit to right, but Wilkerson induced a popup off the bat of Mauricio Ramos to escape unharmed.

"First [hit], it was a good inside fastball that he got enough of it to get it out there to no man's land," Wilkerson said. "A pretty good pitch and good hit on his part. Second one, I got behind in the count and I'd been throwing fastballs all day and I guess he was looking for it. Good pitch down, but I'm pretty sure he was sitting on it."

The 6-foot-3 hurler went 5-1 with a 1.62 ERA in eight New York-Penn League starts for short-season Lowell last year and he posted a 4.76 ERA in five South Atlantic League appearances for Class A Greenville earlier this year.

Now in his second year of pro ball, the 26-year-old has switched between the bullpen and rotation this season. He allowed 10 runs over 17 innings with the Drive, but was promoted to Salem on May 5. Since then, he's gone 3-0 with a 1.55 ERA.

"I've always been a starter," Wilkerson said. "Coming in this year, they moved me to the 'pen because, being as old as I am, they wanted to put me on the fast track to get up. [34-year-old right-hander] Denny Bautista came in on the fast track and he has more experience than me and everything, so I'm not real sure what the plan is. As of right now, I'm starting. I feel like I've had some success starting, but whatever they want me to do is what I'm willing to do."

Red Sox left fielder Yoilan Cerse went 3-for-4 with a double and a run scored and designated hitter Sam Travis hit his fifth homer.

Wilmington starter Cody Reed (5-5) allowed four runs on nine hits over 4 2/3 innings. He issued two walks and struck out four batters.