Borucki posts five more zeros for Lugnuts

Ryan Borucki is pitching into the unknown.

"I've been talking to everybody like, 'Hey, I don't even know what it feels like to be pitching in August,'" Toronto's No. 17 prospect said. "I don't know what August is supposed to feel like, but I guess this is how it is."

Borucki allowed one hit over five innings in his second straight scoreless start Thursday as Class A Lansing beat West Michigan, 4-2, at Fifth Third Ballpark.

Entering this season, the 22-year-old left-hander had only made 20 professional appearances due to a variety of ailments, including Tommy John surgery, which wiped out his entire 2013 season. Elbow and shoulder issues limited him to 5 2/3 innings in 2015.

Now he's back and handling a heaver workload than his entire career combined. And he's doing it effectively to boot.

"I'm just pitching with confidence," said Borucki, who credited his surge to improved fastball command. "At the beginning of the season, I didn't have much confidence. Now I'm starting to get it back. It's a lot easier going out there when you feel confident in yourself. You have more conviction in your pitches."

The 2012 15th-round pick faced three over the minimum and only allowed multiple baserunners when David Gonzalez singled and Cam Gibson walked in the third inning.

"We got a three-run lead, and my job, I just wanted to try to get a shutdown inning," said Borucki, who improved to 8-3 with a 2.45 ERA in 16 starts for the Lugnuts. "I walked a guy, and a guy got a hit, but I got out of it with zeros, got our team back in the dugout, and we got another run."

Working with a cushion, the Illinois native was economical, spinning 44 of 67 pitches for strikes.

"I pitch to contact basically," he said. "I think that's why I've been having some real low pitch counts is because guys are attacking, they're just hitting it on the ground. I've done a good job with that.

"Since I've been coming off of injuries, the coaches just want to kind of wean me back a little bit. I went from five innings last year to over a hundred now, so they're kind of watching over me. I've been on limited pitch counts lately."

Borucki generated five groundouts against two in the air and struck out five while walking three.

"I'm going out there trying to do the best I can, trying to keep my team in the game," he said. "I like being the guy who tries to keep us in, try to lead out there and lead by example. Whatever it is, I just want to help my team."

Most importantly, Borucki feels healthy. Entering the year, he had thrown 68 2/3 innings as a professional. Thursday's outing put Borucki at 115 2/3 for the year.

"I've been feeling really good," he said. "Obviously through the season, you go through a little dead arm every once in a while, but I've been feeling good.

"I'm real, real thankful for everything. The training staff with the Blue Jays is nothing but the best. They've kept me healthy all year and last year, rehabbing back to be where I am right now. Me and the pitching coordinators and stuff, we did a lot of work with my mechanics to make sure I can stay healthy. All year this year was just to stay healthy, and it's been a success so far."

Lugnuts designated hitter Ryan Hissey had a two-RBI triple in a three-run third, and Justin Atkinson plated Lansing's final run with a double-play ball in the sixth.

West Michigan starter Sandy Baez (6-9) allowed three runs on six hits and two walks while striking out six over four innings.