Pineyro, Cubs record another shutout

Florida State League opponents trying to score against Daytona this month must feel like Brent Musburger trying to wring a full sentence out of Eminem.

For the fourth consecutive playoff game, Daytona held its opponent without an earned run Saturday night. Ivan Pineyro was the winning pitcher this time, limiting Charlotte to three hits over seven innings as the Cubs downed the Stone Crabs, 2-0.

The win gave Daytona a commanding 2-0 lead in the best-of-5 Florida State League Championship Series. The Cubs are 4-0 in the postseason and have allowed just one unearned run -- in a 6-1 first-round win over Dunedin -- while outscoring opponents, 17-1.

Pineyro (1-0) fanned the first five batters he faced and finished with seven strikeouts against one walk.

The 21-year-old right-hander began the year with Class A Hagerstown in the Washington organization and made three starts with Class A Advanced Potomac before being traded to the Cubs for Scott Hairston.

Pineyro made eight starts with Daytona to close the regular season, going 3-1 with a 3.40 ERA, 38 strikeouts and nine walks over 45 innings. The seven innings he logged Saturday marked a personal best since the trade.

"The best thing about tonight for him was that he threw strike one. I thought that was huge," Daytona manager Dave Keller said. "He changed speeds really well, pitched inside to righties and lefties. He threw all of his pitches for strikes."

Like the rest of the Cubs' starters this season, Pineyro had some help from his defense. Keller noted two plays in particular that helped keep the shutout intact. The first was a key double play started by first baseman Dustin Geiger that ended the seventh inning -- and Pineyro's night.

The second was a play Keller described as, "One of the top two or three plays I've seen this year by anybody." That out was recorded by center fielder Zeke DeVoss, who robbed Willie Argo of an extra-base hit leading off the fifth inning.

Argo belted a ball directly over DeVoss' head, but the center fielder ranged back and, with a sprawling effort, snagged the line drive in superhero fashion.

"It was phenomenal," Keller said. "That play is a great play, but we just want to make the routine plays as much as possible. When you create plays like that, that's just more icing on the cake."

Cubs No. 4 prospect Kris Bryant doubled, scored a run and is hitting .429 in the playoffs.

Daytona can complete a sweep and capture its second title in three years on Sunday.