Mitchell bests Kelly in Thunder rout
D.J. Mitchell came out the winner in a matchup with the prized Red Sox prospect, striking out five over six solid innings Friday, as the Trenton Thunder topped the Portland Sea Dogs, 9-1.
Kelly's story has been well-documented -- a talented starter who was drafted and began his Minor League career as both a pitcher and infielder. He's focused solely on pitching at the Double-A level, with a 1.08 ERA following Friday's start.
Mitchell, however, was just a little better.
The 22-year-old right-hander out of Clemson held the Sea Dogs to one run on two hits and four walks to lower his ERA to 3.07.
Mitchell made his Double-A debut on April 12 in a loss to Akron, but he's bounced back with victories in his last two outings. He's coming off a solid 2009 campaign in which he combined to go 12-7 with a 2.63 ERA in 25 outings (24 starts) for Class A Charleston and Class A Advanced Tampa.
Kelly, the 30th overall pick pick in the 2008 Draft, pitched well but was on a short leash, leaving after facing 15 batters. He struck out three, held Trenton to one run on four hits over 3 1/3 frames and did not factor in the decision.
The 20-year-old has pitched 8 1/3 innings this season, working three innings or fewer in each of his first three starts.