Fisk tosses complete game out of bullpen

As Class A Advanced Dunedin's long reliever, Conor Fisk wasn't scheduled to pitch in Saturday's doubleheader unless something went awry. A two-hour, 44-minute rain delay was the something he needed to complete a rare feat.

The Blue Jays prospect allowed two hits and one walk while matching his career high with seven strikeouts over seven innings as Dunedin blanked Brevard County, 1-0, in the opener of a doubleheader.

"I found out [I was going in] after we had the rain delay," the 24-year-old right-hander said. "A lot of time passed, enough time where they didn't want [Blue Jays No. 6 prospect Jon] Harris to go out. I started before this season, so it was no big deal for me to switch roles in a situation like that. ... I've been in the situation when [that's] been possible a few times, but that's the first time [it happened]."

Fisk (7-3) allowed two of his first four batters to reach. After yielding a two-out single to George Iskenderian and walking Elvis Rubio in the opening frame, the Wisconsin native struck out David Denson.

After a clean second, Fisk gave up a one-out triple to Brewers No. 3 prospect Corey Ray. But the 2014 24th-round pick used another strikeout to get out of trouble, this time fanning Blake Allemand before getting Iskenderian to line out to third.

"With how the game was going, it was one of those games you know whoever scores one or two runs is going to win it," Fisk said. "To be able to stop that threat with one out and a man on third was a big change in the game. That game could have swung either way at that point.

"I just [focused on] keeping the ball in the infield in that situation, trying to get a popup. I ended up striking him out, but that wasn't the plan going in. Trying to get him to hit something soft."

Fisk cruised the rest of the way. He retired 13 straight Manatees after Ray's triple, with the only blemish being left fielder D.J. Davis' two-out error in the seventh that allowed Mitch Ghelfi to reach.

"[The key was] just pretty much locating my fastball and trying to keep it down and away from hitters. Mixed in a few breaking balls every now and then," the Southern Mississippi product said. "Coming back in was pretty normal; I got a little break and came back to starting."

After making 17 relief appearances and one start through the end of June for Dunedin and Class A Lansing, he joined the D-Jays rotation on July 1 against Tampa. Fisk went 3-2 with a 3.75 ERA in six starts before moving back to the bullpen for two appearances last week.

'I think I'm going back into the rotation anyway with how the situation is set up -- that performance couldn't have hurt," he said. "I'm a long reliever anyway for most of the season, and a situation like that, which is very rare, to come in and do my job and make efficient, quality pitches and try to get the team a win ... makes me feel like I was efficient in my work.

"I threw my pitches where I wanted to locate them. It's a really good feeling, especially when you get rewarded with the win at the end of the day."

Dunedin scored the game's only run in the first when Jonathan Davis singled home Jorge Flores with two outs. Davis had two of the Blue Jays' three hits, including a one-out triple in the seventh.

Brewers No. 13 prospect Kodi Medeiros (4-9) allowed an unearned run on one hit and two walks in one inning before the rain delay. Javier Salas and Clint Terry each tossed three innings of one-hit relief for the Manatees.

Dunedin completed a sweep of the twinbill behind Francisco Rios, who tossed a complete-game three-hitter in a 4-3 victory.