SeaWolves' Burrows puts up six zeros

The last time Beau Burrows didn't allow a run was Opening Day.
On Saturday, the fourth-ranked Tigers prospect replicated that performance and then some, allowing two hits and striking out five over six innings as Double-A Erie defeated Altoona, 2-0, to salvage a split of its doubleheader at Peoples Natural Gas Field.

Gameday box score
Burrows (3-2) walked a batter in the bottom of the first, but Pirates No. 4 prospectKe'Bryan Hayes was caught stealing to end the inning. Jordan George singled in the second before the right-hander recorded his first 1-2-3 inning in the third. He issued another walk and a hit in the fourth and sixth, respectively, but his ability to pitch around those four baserunners was a highlight for the Erie coaching staff.
"He did have a couple of innings where he struggled with his off-speed," SeaWolves pitching coach Willie Blair said. "But his stuff seemed to come back and get better. It seems like he got more comfortable as the game went on."
Burrows threw two wild pitches, which Blair attributed to finding his rhythm with breaking pitches, something he's still developing in his second season in the Eastern League.
"He's still working on getting the feel for his off-speed pitches but also just executing his fastball," the former Major Leaguer said. "His fastball is the kind that pitches up in the zone, but to be effective, he needs to be able to throw the ball down early in the count when he needs to and up early in the count."

With 95 pitches through six innings, it was Burrows' most efficient outing of the season. Even with the strikeouts, getting ahead of hitters allowed him to work late into the game.
"He was able to get ahead and stay ahead in the count," Blair said. "He pitched in effectively. They didn't have a lot of comfortable swings off him. He was able to change speeds whenever he needed to."
The 21-year-old lowered his ERA to 2.86. Last time out, he also went six innings but allowed two runs on seven hits and a walk. And on April 23 against Altoona, he was reached for five runs -- four earned -- on six hits and three walks in 4 1/3 frames.
Making adjustments against the same lineup two starts later was a marker of progress.
"He needs to learn how to execute pitches," Blair said. "That's been a big focus and what I've tried to instill in him. From this point forward, from Double-A on up, hitters get better and you have got to be able to execute pitches, be on the edge and get strikes early in the count."
Burrows started last season with Class A Advanced Lakeland before being promoted to Erie, where he compiled a 4.72 ERA in 15 starts. He reached the 99-pitch plateau twice and worked as many as six innings twice, a mark he's already matched this year.

"Anytime a starter gets through six innings, that means they're being efficient enough to do it," Blair said. "It's a big step for him. We try to keep them in the 100-110 pitch range, but six innings at 95 pitches is efficient. It means he's executing more and getting ahead."
John Schreiber earned his fourth save, striking out one in a clean seventh.
Tigers No. 25 prospect Sergio Alcántara singled in the SeaWolves' first run in the second before 30th-ranked Kody Eaves plated Alcantara with a fielder's choice in the fourth.
Altoona took the opener, 5-2, with George and Logan Hill driving in runs in the opening inning. Christian Kelley homered, while George and Will Craig contributed two hits and an RBI apiece.