Crabs' Moss dominant in seven-inning gem

Benton Moss didn't want his night on the mound to end when it did, but he also knew he'd done enough to earn some rest.

"He had a big smile on his face and he knew what it's about whenever I start shaking that arm at the bottom of the steps," Class A Advanced Charlotte manager Michael Johns said. "He wanted the ball in the eighth inning and he had a legitimate point, but at the end of the day, he trusts our judgment."

The Rays prospect allowed one hit and struck out six over seven scoreless frames Wednesday night in what Johns called "his best outing of the year." The Stone Crabs ended up defeating Jupiter, 8-3, in 14 innings at Roger Dean Stadium.

"He had it all going," Johns said. "He pitched in, pitched away. He had cut with his fastball and threw his four-seam down in the zone. He also threw changeups to right-handed hitters, which you don't see often, and had them off-balance all night. He pitched with confidence and pitched like the way we think he could."

The 23-year-old right-hander faced one batter over the minimum and induced 10 ground-ball outs. He gave up his lone hit when Ronnie Mitchell singled with two outs in the fourth.

"That's the type of pitcher he is," Johns said. "He needs to be able to pitch to contact. That's why his pitch count was so low in the seventh. He has not gone that far in a while and it was a tough call for a manager, but it was good to get him out of the game on a positive note."

Moss threw 86 pitches in his third seven-inning outing of the season. The previous two came on April 30 against Fort Myers and May 16 Daytona.

"A start like this does a lot of things for him," Johns said. "He was facing a very good lineup and this can help him move forward, give him the confidence to do this every time out." 

Apart from those outings, the 2015 sixth-round pick has fared inconsistently in his first full Minor League season.

"He's learning on the fly and learning that on a high level," Johns said. "But he's got good stuff. He's a strike-thrower and it's just a matter of time before it all comes together for him. He's got a quick arm and always throws in the bottom of the zone. And when he does that, he's really good."

Several factors were involved in the decision to move Moss to the Florida State League after he spent last summer with Class A Short Season Hudson Valley. Among them is the organization's belief in the University of North Carolina's potential, Johns said.

"He came from a big program at North Carolina," the manager added. "Those guys coming from big-time schools, if their skill sets allow them, we skip them a level. Benton is a smart guy and older guy, so a lot of variables went in his favor."

Adjusting to FSL opponents will take time, Johns said.

"I think some of the challenges for him are the hitters are really good and they don't miss pitches," he said. "You can't get cookies past them, and he's leanred that. He's also learned that he can throw any pitch in any count, pitch backward like he did tonight. Our pitching coach [Steve Watson] and pitching coordinators know what they are doing. Skipping a level is tough, but we got a good track record of developing good pitchers here."

Moss was in line for his third win before Jupiter scored twice in the eighth to force extra innings. 

"Win-and-loss records are great. They all want a win, but it's not about that. It's about their development and the bigger picture," Johns said.

Ian Gibaut (1-0) worked around two hits and a walk over three scoreless innings, striking out four, to pick up the win.

Rays No. 25 prospect Nick Ciuffo and Thomas Milone each had three base hits, including RBI knocks in the 14th, for the Stone Crabs.