Pivetta rebounds to spin gem for Fightins

Nick Pivetta wasn't going to be rattled out of the gate this time.

Philly's No. 19 prospect allowed one hit and walked two while fanning seven over six innings Thursday to lead the way in Double-A Reading's 9-0 shutout of Harrisburg at FNB Field.

Five days ago, Pivetta (1-1) was blitzed for five runs in 3 2/3 frames in a 6-2 loss to Portland, two of which came in a seven-batter first inning.

The right-hander was determined to start stronger against the Senators, and he set down Rafael Bautista, Wilmer Difo and Shawn Pleffner in order in the first.

"That was really key," Pivetta said. "It was one of the things I was working on, just getting ahead with my fastball and really taking advantage [of the count] and letting my stuff work later in counts, which was awesome for getting guys out quickly."

The 23-year-old kept the ball on the ground with his sinker, a pitch he had worked on with pitching coach Steve Schrenk throughout the week.

"I worked on just aiming back and making sure I use my lower half in order to get on top of the ball and let my sinker work," he explained.

The adjustment resulted in seven ground-ball outs and only four balls that made it out of the infield. Pivetta faced three over the minimum and allowed just one batter to reach third base.

A fourth-round pick by the Nationals in the 2013 Draft, Pivetta posted a 7.27 ERA with 28 walks and 31 strikeouts in 10 starts between Harrisburg and Reading in 2015. Entering his first full season with the Phillies since being acquired in the Jonathan Papelbon trade last July, the Canada native hopes his second attempt at the Eastern League goes more smoothly.

"You're going to go through a lot of experiences in Minor League Baseball and in baseball in general, and it's all meant to build you toward what your ultimate goal is," Pivetta said. "I had a rough start last year, but I had a good offseason. I worked on some stuff mentally and physically, and I'm happy to be here."

For Pivetta, self-improvement begins with command.

"That's one of the main things I'm emphasizing this year, not to walk guys and to really get ahead with my fastball and really command the baseball more, because that's the type of pitcher I am," he said. "You're not going to get anywhere walking guys. You just need to command the first-pitch strike, get ahead of guys and let your stuff do it for you."

Sixth-ranked Philadelphia prospect Jorge Alfaro continued his torrid start at the plate with two hits in five at-bats, his fifth-straight multi-hit effort. Pivetta said it's been a pleasure working with the Fightin Phils catcher.

"Alfaro's a really smart guy. He's a great catcher and I'm going to have a lot of fun with him this year," the 6-foot-5 hurler said. "What he's focusing on with me is just getting ahead with my fastball and really commanding that pitch so we can get the first-pitch fastball and then work the count after, and just making sure all my mechanics are in order while I'm pitching out there."

Angelo Mora finished 3-for-5 and drove in four runs for Reading.

Harrisburg starter John Simms (0-1) was roughed up for six runs on seven hits and a walk and fanned two over five innings.