Soroka twirls first pro shutout for Stripers

For all he's accomplished in his short professional career, Mike Soroka did something Monday he hadn't done before.
Atlanta's No. 3 prospect pitched his first complete-game shutout, allowing just three singles over seven innings, as Triple-A Gwinnett blanked Rochester, 1-0, in the first game of a doubleheader. Soroka struck out four and walked three.

The No. 31 prospect was not aware of the milestone.
"I knew I came close [to a shutout] a couple of times before, only to be spoiled by a home run," Soroka said. "It's nice to finish this one off, but really I got a lot of help from the defense. For all the ground balls I throw, you're going to need some plays behind you, and the guys came through with that."
The 20-year-old right-hander improved to 2-0 and lowered his ERA to 1.99. Soroka gave up back-to-back singles in the second inning to Major League veterans Kennys Vargas and Brock Stassi before pitching out of trouble. He walked Jermaine Curtis and allowed single by Nick Buss, but escaped that jam unscathed.
The 2015 first-round pick retired 12 of the final 13 batters to finish the complete game, the second time in his four-year pro career he's gone the distance. He also went end-to-end in a seven-inning win for Class A Rome on June 28, 2016.
Gameday box score
Soroka has struck out 24 while allowing five earned runs and five walks in 22 2/3 innings this season. The Calgary native sported an 11-8 record with a 2.75 ERA and 125 strikeouts in 153 2/3 innings for Mississippi in 2017.
In typical fashion, he got 12 groundouts and just three flyouts Monday. For the season, Soroka has generated more than two groundballs for every flyout, which he attributed to the downhill angle he gets from his 6-foot-5 frame.
"My pitches -- the four-seam, sinker, slider and changeup -- I was filling up the bottom of the zone," he said. "I was not as sharp today -- threw a lot of waste pitches -- but I was keeping the ball down, just tunneling away at the bottom of the zone."
Soroka said his downhill action is just "natural," much like teammate Kolby Allard's ability to elevate fastballs.
"We're just lucky to have that talent," he added.
Having that kind of flair means Soroka often gets compared to some elite arms, particularly those with top-scale command who also happened to wear a Braves uniform.

"Obviously, I'm honored to be compared to [Greg Maddux]. He doesn't get enough credit for his stuff, because people think he was just dotting the strike zone," he said. "But he had a really good curveball, and it's just about maximizing those things.
"I've been lucky just to learn from those [comparisons] and watch him a little bit. But right now, the goal is just to get better at my craft. I understand the comps come from that I'm a right-hander wearing a Braves jersey with fastball command. I'm honored, but it's a little premature."
Soroka needed to be near-perfect Monday because the Stripers did not do much damage against Rochester's Dietrich Enns. Acquired from the Yankees last July with right-hander Zack Littell for left-hander Jaime García, the 26-year-old southpaw delivered his best outing of the season.
Enns gave up just two hits while also going the distance. Gwinnett scored its lone run in the fourth, largely on the speed of Ronald Acuña Jr. The No. 1 overall prospect walked to start the inning, stole second and third and scored on a grounder by rehabbing big leaguer Tyler Flowers.

Acuna also singled and stole three bases while Rio Ruiz had Gwinnett's only other hit.
In Soroka, Acuna and Allard, the Stripers have the three youngest players in Triple-A. The righty considers that a benefit.
"Kolby and I are about two weeks apart, and Acuna's a couple of months behind us. It's fun to watch these guys progress. They've gotten better every time you see them," Soroka said. "It's pretty special."