Ports' Puk allows one hit, posts five zeros

A.J. Puk wanted to pitch to more contact on Saturday night. Try telling that to the Rancho Cucamonga lineup. 
The A's No. 2 prospect allowed one hit and struck out eight over five scoreless innings, pitching Class A Advanced Stockton to a 4-2 triumph over the Quakes at LoanMart Field. 

"I'm trying to work on filling up the zone and pitching to more contact instead of pitching for strikeouts," Puk said after throwing 50 of 93 pitches for strikes. "Tonight I was trying to focus on getting my changeup going. I haven't been throwing it as much I've liked to. It's my best double play and ground ball offering and that's what I wanted to do out there tonight."
Gameday box score
The eight strikeouts put the left-hander atop the California League leaderboard with 69, one more than Visalia's Jose Almonte, who has thrown 6 1/3 more innings than Puk. The 22-year-old from Iowa ranks fourth among all Minor Leaguers in the category, despite having worked the fewest innings among the top five qualifiers. He's fanned 37 percent of the batters he's faced this season and is averaging 14 punchouts per nine innings.
"I've been able to rely on all of my pitches, depending on the situation," MLB.com's No. 62 overall prospect said. "I try to do the same thing every start: go out there and attack the hitters and whatever happens, happens."
After allowing a one-out single, Puk (3-4) fanned two batters to end the first inning and begin a stretch that saw him retire seven Quakes in a row. 
While he struck out more than one-third of the batters he faced, the 2016 first-round pick induced five ground-ball outs, compared to two flyouts.
"I have a good defense behind me," said Puk, who issued four walks. "I need to work on letting them get to work, and that should help me with my control."
Puk faced his biggest test of the night in the fifth. He retired the leadoff batter, but two walks and an error by second baseman Josh Vidales loaded the bases with one out. Needing a strikeout, Puk fanned Dodgers No. 6 prospect Yusniel Díaz on four pitches. He finished his outing by getting Luke Raley to fly to left.

"I definitely felt strong," the University of Florida product said. "I try not to change how I'm pitching. If I throw a good pitch and someone beats me, so be it."
In his first full Minor League season, Puk also leads the league with a .179 opponents' batting average and ranks fifth with a 1.10 WHIP. He's given up one run on one hit over 10 1/3 innings in his last two starts.
Rehabbing Major Leaguer Brock Stewart (0-1) retired one batter for the Quakes and allowed three runs -- two earned -- on three hits. It was the first game action since the 23-year-old right-hander was shut down in March with a shoulder injury.