Cabrera reaches 200-strikeout mark

Edwar Cabrera has been racking up high strikeout totals all season. On Saturday, he joined some elite company.

The Rockies prospect fanned 10 over six innings in the Modesto Nuts' 7-6 win over the Visalia Rawhide, becoming the first Minor Leaguer this season to record 200 strikeouts.

"It means a lot because I've never done it and I'm the first one to do it this season," Cabrera said through a translator. "I'm very happy."

Matt Moore is the only other Minor Leaguer since Francisco Liriano to reach the 200-strikeout mark. Liriano accomplished the feat in 2005, while Moore -- MLB.com's top pitching prospect did it just last year.

The 23-year-old left-hander has 92 strikeouts over 70 innings for Modesto after fanning 110 in 86 innings for Class A Asheville. His goal for the season? To finish with 220 strikeouts.

"I'm working hard every day," said Cabrera, who signed with the Rockies as a non-drafted free agent in March 2008. "Our pitching coach [Darryl Scott] has me working on concentrating and staying focused."

The native of the Dominican Republic fanned at least one batter in all six innings, capping his performance by striking out the side in the sixth.

Cabrera left with a 3-2 lead, but Nuts closer Michael Marbry surrendered four runs -- one earned -- on four hits and his own error in the ninth. That cost the southpaw a chance to improve to 5-0 following his promotion to the California League. He was 4-2 with a 3.17 ERA in the South Atlantic League, where he was a midseason All-Star.

Josh Rutledge bailed out Marbry (5-3) by smacking a walk-off two-run single in the bottom of the ninth. Rutledge and Jared Clark had homered to stake Cabrera to an early lead.