Barone flirts with perfect game

After flirting with a perfect game, only his pitch count kept Daniel Barone from tossing his first professional complete game.

Barone retired the first 19 batters and struck out 10 over 8 2/3 overpowering innings as the Greensboro Grasshoppers shut down the Kannapolis Intimidators, 4-1, on Friday night at First Horizon Park.

"I felt I was in control," Barone said on the Grasshoppers' official website. "It was kind of like, 'You're not going to touch me.'"

Barone (4-0) did not allow a base runner until Even Tartaglia walked on a 3-2 pitch with one out in the top of the seventh. Daron Roberts followed with Kannapolis' first hit, an RBI double to right field that cut the Grasshoppers' lead to 4-1.

Unfazed, the 23-year-old right-hander struck out Brandon Allen and Adam Ricks to end the inning. He worked around a leadoff single in the eighth and set down the first two batters in the ninth before Tartaglia walked on another 3-2 pitch.

It was Barone's 103rd pitch, ending his night. The Florida Marlins set the pitch count at 100 for their Minor Leaguers after their fifth start of the season.

"I'm very disappointed I couldn't finish," Barone said. "I should have given Tartaglia something to hit."

"A masterpiece is what that was," Greensboro pitching coach Steve Foster said. "He has three pitches that are average or above-average for the Major Leagues -- fastball, slider and changeup. He located all of them tonight."

Greensboro grabbed the lead in the fourth on a two-run homer by Gaby Sanchez, who leads the Minor Leagues with 13. Agustin Septimo and Jeffrey Van Houten added solo shots in the fifth.

Intimidators starter Derek Rodriguez (1-4) gave up four runs on three hits -- all homers -- and two walks in seven innings. He struck out four.