Alcala puts up six zeros to lift Buies Creek

Being able to repeat an ideal delivery is perhaps the biggest challenge for most Minor League pitchers. Jorge Alcala found out on Saturday what happens when he's able to do so.
The Astros' No. 29 prospect scattered three hits, walked one and struck out five in six scoreless innings as Class A Advanced Buies Creek topped Down East, 3-1, at Grainger Stadium.
"When he's using his best delivery, everything stays later out in his hand and has better late action through the zone," Buies Creek pitching coach Chris Holt said. "He was doing that for the most part tonight, and the pitches that happened to get away from him, he was able to come back into those counts and execute quality pitches even behind in the count."

Gameday box score
Making his eighth start since being promoted from Class A Quad Cities on May 17, the 21-year-old right-hander worked around a two-out single by Rangers No. 15 prospectYanio Perez in the first and a two-out walk and stolen base by Preston Scott in the second before retiring six straight batters.
"He had all of his pitches working," Holt said. "The actions on both his slider and changeup were the best they had been all year and catcher Jake Rogers did a great job with him tonight."
Chuck Moorman led off the fifth with a double to left, but Alcala responded by getting a groundout -- one of eight he induced on the night -- to keep Moorman from advancing. 
"He was working his off-speed down in the zone and would get his fastball in for weak contact," Holt said. "He was doing a good job of getting off-barrel, whether it be down and away or in on the hands."
A wild pitch to LeDarious Clark moved Moorman 90 feet from home, but the 6-foot-3, 180-pound pitcher caught a foul pop before covering first base on a groundout by Ti'Quan Forbes to escape the inning.
"The biggest difference I've seen with him since he's gotten here is his ability to stay focused in the game, whether he's doing well or fighting through a situation," Holt said. "He's staying focused and continued to attack with quality pitches, and I think that's a huge piece of his continued work here."
After working around another two-out single by Perez in the sixth, Alcala (3-3) was replaced by Kevin Hill to start the seventh. The native of the Dominican Republic threw 57 strikes among 95 pitches. 

"For him to be more efficient, the first thing that comes to mind is being able to get two strikes out of the first three pitches and put guys away," Holt said. "Also try to end at-bats before you get fouled off four or five times on 3-1, 3-2 counts. When you do these things well, when you get ahead and stay ahead, you're going to be able to keep your pitch count down."
Hill was reached for a run on three hits with two walks and three strikeouts over 2 2/3 innings. Howie Brey earned his first save of the season by striking out Matt Lipka to end the game. 
Rogers, the Astros' No. 21 prospect, belted a two-run homer in the first and Ryne Birk added a solo shot in the third for Buies Creek.