Kaminska tosses six hitless frames

Kyle Kaminska found himself out of a job when the season began. He might not have to worry so much about job security after Tuesday's performance.

Kaminska hurled six hitless innings and three relievers combined on a four-hitter as the Greensboro Grasshoppers edged the Lakewood BlueClaws, 3-1, at FirstEnergy Park.

The 19-year-old right-hander struck out five and allowed only a two-out walk in the third inning in the longest outing of his career. But he didn't get a chance to continue the no-hit bid due to a high pitch count in only his fifth outing -- and fourth start -- of the season.

"I felt really good out there," Kaminska said. "I wanted to stay out there, but this was the most pitches I'd thrown all spring. So you just have to listen to the coaches."

The Marlins' 25th-round pick out of Naperville Central High School (Ill.) in 2007, Kaminska went 1-1 with a 2.84 ERA in five games -- including four starts -- for the Rookie-level Marlins of the Gulf Coast last season but found himself without a roster spot at the end of Spring Training this year. It didn't take long before opportunity came knocking.

"I didn't make a full season team out of Spring Training, but I made a spot start for Jupiter the first week of the season and another one a few weeks later," he said. "It's my first full year so I'm trying to learn as much as I can."

Kaminska (1-1) allowed seven earned runs over nine innings in those two starts and gave up 10 earned runs in nine innings in two previous appearances with the Grasshoppers before Tuesday's gem.

"My first few times out there were a lot of ground-ball hits, so instead of trying to throw too many strikes I've been getting guys to chase pitches," he explained. "I want to make them hit my pitch."

Kaminska was to pitch at Michigan State before opting to sign with the Marlins.

"I kinda got thrown out into the real world for the first time, so it's just been a matter of adjusting to the lifestyle and living off a paycheck," he said. "It was by far the right decision though. I wouldn't turn this down for anything, though."

Eric Basurto retired the first two batters in the seventh before Matthew Rizzotti's infield single broke up the no-no. Basurto allowed two hits and struck out two in two innings, Don Czyz gave up a run on two hits in the eighth, and Garrett Parcell tossed a perfect ninth for his 12th save.

Osvaldo Martinez smacked a two-run triple in the sixth and Torre Langley went 2-for-4 with an RBI single for Greensboro (25-20).

BlueClaws starter Chance Chapman (1-4) yielded three runs on four hits and two walks with two strikeouts over 6 1/3 innings.

Derrick Mitchell doubled and scored on Dominic Brown's RBI groundout in the eighth for Lakewood (21-24).