Crabs' Lobstein close to perfect

Despite getting his season off to a late start, Kyle Lobstein is pitching like he hasn't missed a beat.

The Rays prospect allowed one hit, struck out five and faced one batter over the minimum over seven innings Saturday as the Charlotte Stone Crabs cruised to an 8-0 victory over the Bradenton Marauders.

Lobstein (4-2) set down the first 11 batters before allowing a two-out single to Ramon Cabrera in the fourth inning. The 2008 second-round Draft pick retired his last 10 batters, marking the second time this season he's allowed one hit over seven frames.

"I threw my fastball early in the count for strikes, down in the zone, especially," Lobstein said. "The cut fastball was working well and I was getting early outs. I had a few one-pitch outs, which we were trying to do, so I can pitch as many innings as I can."

The 21-year-old southpaw, who also features a changeup and slider, threw only 80 pitches. He moved into third place in the Florida State League by lowering his ERA to 2.22 and tops the Class A Advanced circuit with a 0.88 WHIP.

"I try to go out there every time and get a win," Lobstein said. "As long as I do my job to the best of my abilities, I have a chance to win."

The Arizona native began the season on the disabled list with inflammation in his elbow and did not make his first start until April 28. Since his return, he's allowed 31 hits over 48 2/3 innings.

"I feel great right now," Lobstein said. "We definitely took care of it early on so it wouldn't become a problem. Hopefully, I can stay with my routine and stay healthy the rest of the year."

Despite some gaudy numbers, he hasn't thought about moving up the organizational ladder, focusing instead on maintaining the success he's enjoyed.

"Right now, it's more mental than anything," Lobstein said. "You still have to do all the physical conditioning that you have to do, but you really have to stick to your game plan. As long as I stay focused, that should help me."

Mark Thomas hit a three-run homer and Greg Sexton doubled and also had three RBIs for the Stone Crabs. Hak-Ju Lee was 2-for-4 and scored a run for the fifth straight game.