Medina ties career high with 12 strikeouts

When Adonis Medina has all of his stuff working, watch out. 
Philadelphia's second-ranked prospect showed why Saturday as he matched a career high with 12 strikeouts while allowing just two hits over seven scoreless innings in Class A Advanced Clearwater's 2-1 win over Florida at Spectrum Field. 

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"He was throwing all three pitches at any time in the count," Threshers manager Shawn Williams said. "He was commanding his pitches with two strikes, including his breaking ball and his changeup. It was a lot of fun to watch." 
MLB.com's No. 73 overall prospect retired 17 consecutive batters after relinquishing a pair of singles in the first, and struck out the side in the seventh to close out his outing. 
The 12 punchouts matched a mark Medina set last June 13 with Class A Lakewood against Delmarva. For the Threshers, it was the highest total since Jesse Biddlestruck out 12 against Brevard County on Aug. 17, 2012.
Signed as an international free agent in May 2014, Medina (8-3) has slowly progressed up the Phillies system and has been up-and-down for the Threshers this season, posting a 4.48 ERA and 9.9 strikeouts per nine innings. In his first four professional seasons, the 21-year-old's highest ERA was 3.01 in 2017 with Class A Lakewood. 
The Clearwater coaching staff has been impressed with his resiliency. 
"The big thing for him is that even on some of the tough nights, he's still out there pitching and competing," Williams said. "I think it's very important and sometimes it doesn't work, but his stuff is good enough to be very good like tonight. But he pitches good enough to win. Even on nights he doesn't have his best stuff, he competes and gives us a chance to win, which he's done a heck of a job of doing." 
Medina's best pitch is his fastball, according to MLB Pipeline, which rates it 60-grade on the 20-80 scouting scale. But he's learning to throw his slider and changeup most effectively in all counts this season and when it all clicks, it's electric. 
"The good thing about him is that whatever happens, he's going to pitch," Williams said. "Obviously he's got a very good fastball, but he knows how to use his changeup when he's behind in the count against lefties and righties. That's what makes him tough is that he throws all three pitches against righties or lefties. 

"He's able to use all three of his pitches whether he's ahead in the count, behind the count, lefties, righties. He's tough to predict because he can change his sequences and pitch backwards when he needs to." 
Medina outdueled Fire Frogs right-hander Jeremy Walker, who allowed an unearned run on five hits and struck out four in seven frames. 
Phillies No. 4 prospect Mickey Moniak collected a double and scored a run for the Threshers. 
Lucas Herbert doubled in Florida's lone run.