Bucs' Glasnow extends no-hit streak

While Tyler Glasnow was warming up before his start on Wednesday night, he felt pretty good.

"Just trying to move [that feeling] into the game and didn't want to think about anything," he said. "Just wanted to attack the hitter."

With a clear mind, the Pirates' top prospect did not allow a hit for the second straight start, striking out eight and walking five over seven frames, in Triple-A Indianapolis' 4-3, 10-inning loss at Gwinnett.

"I just wanted to go out and be athletic and just try to [throw] my best stuff," he said. "It felt pretty good in warmups and just took it out into the game."

Glasnow spun five no-hit innings against Rochester on June 1, then held Charlotte hitless for six frames on June 17. But he combined to walk 10 batters in those starts, so MLB.com's No. 8 overall prospect said he had a plan to limit the free passes. In his first four innings on Wednesday, he issued one walk.

"My goal going into today was not to go out and focus on not walking people. I just wanted to go out and be athletic and throw my best stuff," Glasnow said. "The last couple starts, I've been in a 'don't walk people' mode. And I felt really good in the beginning."

The 22-year-old right-hander encountered some trouble in the fifth and sixth, walking four Braves, committing a throwing error and uncorking a wild pitch. But he got through the sixth again without yielding a hit.

"I think as the game went on, I felt maybe a little bit of fatigue or so, but I'm pretty happy with the start, even with the walks," he said. "I think this one was probably different than the previous ones I've had with the walks. [Wednesday] was more aggressive; I was erring on the side of aggression rather than trying to throw strikes and then letting up."

Glasnow worked a 1-2-3 seventh and left after throwing a season-high 102, 59 for strikes.

"My secondary stuff has been really good. I've been able to throw it for strikes and I've been able to throw my changeup more confidently," he said. "My execution's just been better and stuff-wise, it's been good."

In five June starts, Glasnow has a 0.32 ERA, allowing one run on five hits with 22 walks and 31 strikeouts over 28 innings. The 2011 fifth-round pick is holding International League foes to a 0.58 average this month, leading many to wonder how long it will be before a promotion to Pittsburgh.

"It's great. I think every pitcher wants to go up and not give up any hits," Glasnow said. "It's been fun going up there and trying to throw my best stuff, and it's a lot more of an athletic feel. It's been fun going out and throwing the last few times.

"I've just being trying to focus on what I'm doing at where I am. Whenever [the Pirates] decide to or if they decide to, I haven't really been thinking about it too much. I gotta pitch well wherever I'm at."

Trey Haley relieved Glasnow in the eighth and worked around a pair of walks to take the no-hit bid to the ninth. But Anthony Recker had other plans, knocking a leadoff single to left.

It would have been Indianapolis' first no-hitter since 2012. Justin Wilson was part of a combined gem with Jose Diaz and Doug Slaten on April 29, then completed an eight-inning no-hitter on Aug. 9.

"He goes out there and he's a really competitive pitcher and, honestly, I love watching him pitch," Glasnow said of Haley. "I've seen him dominate last year and this year. Tonight just wasn't his night, but he's a phenomenal pitcher, so he'll get back. He's definitely a big league pitcher."

Rio Ruiz followed Recker with a ground-rule double and Mel Rojas Jr. lifted a sacrifice fly to get Gwinnett on the board. With two outs, Haley plunked Matt Lipka before Jhondaniel Medina issued three consecutive walks to force in the tying run.

Recker led off the 10th and sent a 2-0 pitch over the left-center field fence to give the Braves their second straight walk-off win.