Thompson tosses six one-hit innings

At the All-Star break, Jacob Thompson decided he needed to intensify his pre-start workouts. He's been reaping the rewards ever since.

The right-handed Rays prospect allowed just one hit over six shutout innings Thursday, but did not factor into the decision as Class A Advanced Charlotte lost to Palm Beach, 3-1.

Thompson struck out four and walked one en route to his ninth quality start in his past 11 outings.

"Pretty much everything [was working]," he said. "I was just being aggressive with all my pitches. I was mixing up first pitches with offspeed and fastballs, pitching guys backwards. It was a backwards, aggressive day, you could say."

Thompson's only blemish through his first four frames was a one-out walk to Niko Vasquez in the third. The 22-year-old did not allow a hit until the fifth, when Robert Stock led off the inning with a ground-ball single up the middle.

"My first two pitches, I tried to be a little too fine," said Thompson, who played with Stock during the Area Code Games in high school and against him in college. "I got away from myself a little bit. I came back and tried to throw a two-seamer low and away, but he got the bat on it and chopped it right in the dirt. It's always someone you know that does something like that. I just kind of giggled and tried to get the next out."

A second-round pick in 2010, Thompson has gone 4-2 with a 2.48 ERA since the All-Star break. Overall, he ranks fourth in the Florida State League with a 2.69 mark.

"What I feel has been [important is] my pre-game, pre-start workout," Thompson said. "I changed it up after the All-Star break. I needed to mix things up, step up the intensity and tire myself out in a sense. So when I come into a game, I know what it's like to be tired and can pitch through it."

Thompson said his goal for the rest of the season is simply to maintain the momentum he's got going right now.

"Just really to keep doing what I've been doing, try to help the team out in every way possible, pitch to my strengths and finish the season strong," he said. "It's not about how your start, but how you finish."

Adam Liberatore (4-5) took over for Thompson in the seventh and took the loss after surrendering three runs on four hits in one inning.

Palm Beach reliever Justin Smith (3-7) earned the win by giving up one run on two hits over three innings.