Schlosser shuts down Blue Rocks
On Wednesday, he thoroughly erased that memory.
Schlosser gave up three hits and a walk while striking out six over eight innings as Lynchburg blanked the Blue Rocks, 8-0, in the first game of the best-of-3 Carolina League semifinals.
When Schlosser took the mound against Wilmington on Aug. 24, he was roughed up for nine hits and three walks in five innings, striking out two. In the series opener, he flashed the same command that helped him lead the league with 13 wins and finish third with a 3.38 ERA.
"We had a good game plan going in and we stuck to it," Schlosser said. "I had command of all three pitches tonight. It was real nice, we jumped out to a lead in the first and after that I just tried to keep us in the game as long as possible."
Schlosser had fared well against Wilmington for much of his first full season in the Minor Leagues. In six regular-season starts vs. the Blue Rocks, he posted a 2.75 ERA. Overall, Schlosser went 13-7 with 139 strikeouts and only 39 walks in 165 1/3 innings.
"Yeah, I've faced these guys I think six times before, so they've seen me a lot, I've seen them," he said. "It helps a little bit. Last time, they got me pretty good and you tip your hat, but that's baseball. In six times, they'll get you once or twice. The last game, I wasn't making good pitches and they made me pay.
"But it was real nice, especially after that last time, to get back on track and pitch well enough to give us the win."
The 23-year-old right-hander also turned things around after going 2-3 with a 5.52 ERA in August, surrendering nine earned runs over 11 innings in his final two regular-season starts.
Simplifying things earlier this week made things go more smoothly on the hill Wednesday night, he said.
"I took this week pretty light, we toned down on the running and the throwing," he noted. "I even took a day off and didn't throw at all yesterday on the travel day. I stayed calm through the whole week, didn't want to do too much. It took me a little longer to get loose today, but after that I felt stronger."
The top of the order provided the most pop behind Schlosser. Leadoff man Dan Brewer went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and Nick Ahmed, who bats right behind him, contributed two hits, two RBIs and a pair of runs scored.
No. 3 hitter Tommy La Stella chipped in two hits and three RBIs, while Emerson Landoni went 3-for-4 and scored twice. John Cornely struck out two in a perfect ninth to seal the win.
In other Carolina League action:
Myrtle Beach 4, Winston-Salem 1
The Pelicans took Game 1 of the other semifinal series as Tomas Telis delivered a bases-loaded triple to cap a four-run sixth.
Hanser Alberto also tripled in a run, while Rangers' No. 14 prospect Luke Jackson (1-0) yielded a run on three hits while striking out eight over five innings to earn the win.
Courtney Hawkins, a 2012 first-round pick, provided Winston-Salem's offense with a fifth-inning homer. Box score
Jonathan Raymond is a contributor to MLB.com.