Lugnuts' Jenkins bags first pro win

Former first-round pick Chad Jenkins picked up his first win as a professional Tuesday, striking out nine over eight innings, as the Lansing Lugnuts blanked the West Michigan Whitecaps, 6-0.

The 22-year-old right-hander yielded a first-inning single to Mike Gosse, who was thrown out at the plate following Avisail Garcia's two-out base hit. That was as close as West Michigan came to scoring against Jenkins, who did not allow another runner past second base.

The 20th overall selection last June had fanned 13 batters over his first three Minor League starts. But he appeared to get stronger as the game went on, striking out two Whitecaps in the seventh and two more in the eighth.

A product of Kennesaw State University, Jenkins did not make his pro debut until this season. The 6-foot-4, 245-pound Tennessee native was 0-2 with a 5.63 ERA in his first three starts.

Over 24 innings, he's given up 27 hits but only one home run and five walks. Opponents are batting .281 against him.

The Lugnuts, who have won nine of their last 10 games, scored the only run Jenkins needed in the top of the first. Former second-round pick Kenny Wilson led off with a single, stole second, took third on a wild pitch and came home on a sacrifice fly by A. J. Jimenez.

Jimenez and Kevin Nolan both had two hits and an RBI, while Balbino Fuenmayor scored twice for Lansing.