Drillers' Cotton rough on Corpus Christi

It's only been 13 days since Jharel Cotton's Double-A debut, but he's pitched like a Texas League veteran -- partly because he's used to the competition.

"I wouldn't say that it's been a challenge [getting acclimated] because I've pitched against most of these guys since I was in [Class A Advanced] last year," he said. "I know most of them. I've been getting better because of the repetition, going out there every five innings and putting in the work."

The Dodgers' 25th-ranked prospect put together the best of his three starts at the new level on Friday, allowing four hits and striking out seven over six innings as Tulsa topped visiting Corpus Christi, 5-0. He threw 62 of 88 pitches for strikes and did not walk a batter as the Hooks were shut out for only the third time this season.

Cotton (2-0), who lowered his Texas League ERA to 0.95, mowed through his first 13 batters, although he wasn't sure before the game that it was going to be his night.

"It's crazy. We had this long break for the All-Star break, so I threw a bullpen Sunday and that was the last time I was on the bump until Wednesday. And it was tough finding it today," said the East Carolina University product.

"I told myself to go out there and pitch my butt off, and it worked out. The first inning went pretty well. After the first, I said, 'You know your stuff is all still there,' so I knew I could go do my thing. Pitching ahead is really what worked. It went pretty well for the first five innings until I gave up that first hit. I didn't want to give up a hit because I knew once I did, they would come in bundles. And they did."

"Bundles" may be an exaggeration.

With one out in the fifth, Astros No. 7 prospect Colin Moran poked a grounder up the middle for a single. One out later, Conrad Gregor got a hit through the right side, but Cotton struck out Roberto Pena to end the inning.

Leo Heras led off the sixth with a double, and Cotton wasn't pleased with himself.

"At first, I was kind of mad because he got a double because I think it was a 1-2 count. The coaches get mad if you don't strike him out or at least get him out on a 1-2 count," he said. "So when he got the double, I was upset. But I said, 'You know what, Jharel? Settle down, this is still your ballgame, go out and have fun.' My [pitching] coach [Matt Herges] came out and said my pitch count was still pretty low, so let's get these guys."

Cotton fanned Teoscar Hernandez, but Brett Phillips followed with a base knock that Tulsa shortstop Ronald Torreyes prevented from reaching the outfield. 

"[Torreyes] did a great job. I was kind of nervous because again it was a [two-strike] count, and you're supposed to get him out or strike him out," Cotton said. "He got the bat head on it and hit it up the middle. I was like, 'Oh my goodness,' but Torreyes made a great play and stopped the run from scoring. He couldn't get Phillips because he's a really fast guy."

Cotton struck out Jon Kemmer and retired Brandon Meredith on a grounder to Torreyes.

"Oh, man, I was pumped," he said.

"After I got the first K, with the runner on second, I said, 'OK, Jharel, you got this. And then after the infield hit, 'OK, you still got this.' When I struck [Kemmer] out, I said, 'All right, there are two outs now, you can't let those two runs score, you've got to do something about this.' When [Meredith] hit the grounder, I thought it was going to go through, but it went straight to the shortstop." 

With that, Cotton's night was complete, although he didn't know it.

"I thought I was going to go seven, to go an extra inning. But my pitch count was kind of up there and I haven't pitched in a while," he said. "My pitching coach did a good job viewing me and said my stuff wasn't as sharp, and I've had five or six days off, so that was a good coaching choice. It was a good game for me. I'm happy with the outcome. We won our ballgame."

Torreyes was 3-for-3 with two RBIs and missed the cycle by a home run. Kyle Farmer, the Dodgers' No. 20 prospect, also had three hits and scored a run.

Phillips, Houston's sixth-ranked prospect, was 2-for-4 with a double and a stolen base.