Ross shines in his Louisville debut

LOUISVILLE, Ky.-It was a career night for right-hander Austin Ross (1-0, 2.25 ERA) in his first Triple-A start of 2017, evident by his ability to consistently hit triple-digits on the radar gun even in his eighth inning of work. 
"I looked up and saw that the speed gun was stuck at 100 miles per hour for a few straight pitches," Ross said making mention of the speed radar that malfunctioned most of the eighth inning. "I try not to pay much attention to it because I don't throw it that hard."
Despite the broken radar gun, Ross did have a stellar outing in his debut with Louisville, going eight innings deep, allowing two runs on seven hits. The left-handed batter was also able to pick up the second and third hits of his minor league career en route to giving the Bats a 5-2 victory over the Gwinnett Braves Tuesday at Louisville Slugger Field.
After being signed to a free-agent contract in the offseason, Ross began the year at the Double-A level with the Pensacola Blue Wahoos, where he made nine starts, amassing a 5-0 record and a 1.21 earned run average. At the plate in Pensacola, Ross recorded 15 at-bats, but reached base only once via a walk.
After allowing the Braves to take a 1-0 advantage in the top of the first, Ross and the Bats struck in the second with two runners in scoring position and the pitcher recording a two-out single to left field. Two runs came around to score on Ross' first hit, while he also led off the eighth with a single, this time to right field.
"I am by no means a good hitter, but I am going to put a good swing on the ball," Ross said of his outburst at the plate. "I got some balls over the plate and just put them in play."
It was just the 16^th quality start of the season for Bats' hurlers. Injuries at the major and minor league levels have caused for plenty of bullpen innings for Louisville relievers in 2017, as well as the shuffling of rotation arms from Louisville to Cincinnati and back.
"There were a lot of quick at-bats and it worked out great with the way the pitching has been here lately," Ross added regarding his deep outing that allowed the bullpen to rest. "Really, that's always the goal as a starter; give your team a chance to win and pitch late into the game."
Ross appears to be a welcome addition to a Bats' organization patiently awaiting the return of righties Sal Romano and Rookie Davis from the disabled list. Hopefully, Ross can bring much needed stability to the Louisville rotation, the club's biggest weakness to this point.