Jumbo Shrimp's Dugger posts seven zeros

Robert Dugger has been a starting pitcher for just over a year, but the Marlins' No. 22 prospect looked like a seasoned pro on Tuesday night.
Dugger gave up three hits over seven scoreless innings and recorded a career-high 10 strikeouts -- all over the first four frames -- as Double-A Jacksonville beat Birmingham, 3-1, at the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville. He matched the longest start of his career and has thrown 15 consecutive scoreless innings.R

Gameday box score
"He came out ready to pitch tonight," Jacksonville manager Randy Ready told reporters after the game. "He had his three-pitch mix and everything was working tonight, especially with the early strikeouts. For him to go a complete fully seven innings, that's a nice job."
The Texas Tech product wasted no time, striking out the side in the first. He worked around a leadoff single by Alex Call in the second, capping the frame by fanning Danny Mendick and Keon Barnum. Those punchouts started a dominant run by Dugger (6-5), who also struck out the side in the third and eventually fanned seven consecutive batters, with White Sox No. 9 prospect Luis Alexander Basabe and eighth-ranked Zack Collins going down swinging to open the fourth.
"He really had that slider working well for him and his fastball was locating especially well," Jumbo Shrimp pitching coach Dave LaRoche said. "He was landing particularly well up in the zone. The last three or four starts, he's been working more up, and with his delivery and just how he pitches, he's more conducive to pitch with success up there."

Trey Michalczewski led off the fifth with a double and moved up on Mendick's fly ball to center. Catcher Rodrigo Vigil picked off Michalczewski and Barnum walked before the right-hander retired Matt Rose on a forceout.
Dugger got more help from Vigil in the sixth, as the catcher threw out Alfredo González trying to steal after a leadoff single. The 2016 18th-round pick allowed just one more baserunner -- Collins drew a leadoff walk in the seventh -- as he closed out his second straight seven-inning start. He eclipsed his career best of nine strikeouts, accomplished tiwce in his previous three starts.
After the Mariners drafted Dugger, they made him part of the trade package for Dee Gordon last December along with fellow right-hander Nick Neidert and infielder Christopher Torres. He began this year with Class A Advanced Jupiter and was 3-1 with a 2.40 ERA in seven starts before a promotion to the Southern League on May 18. Dugger took his lumps early on with Jacksonville, with his ERA spiking at 6.25 at the beginning of July. But he's rattled off four wins in his last five starts.

"He's found his command throwing strikes," Ready said. "He was a little uncomfortable with the level at first and was scattering the zone. Now his stuff has gotten better. If he can stay in the strike zone, he's going to get a lot of outs."
Jeff Kinley relieved Dugger and gave up an unearned run over 1 1/3 innings before Tommy Eveld recorded the final two outs for his third save.
Marlins No. 21 prospect and reigning Southern League Player of the Week Joe Dunand plated all three runs for Jacksonville with a double and a sacrifice fly. Brian Miller contributed three hits and scored twice.