Allen locates six shutout frames for TinCaps

Logan Allen didn't feel his stuff wasn't better than usual Wednesday night, but his command made the pitches nearly unhittable.
"I was just locating where I wanted to and these guys were swinging at a lot of pitches we needed them to swing at," the No. 17 Padres prospect said. "The outcome was just better than most nights."
Allen (1-1) allowed just two hits and a walk while striking out a career-high nine over six innings in Class A Fort Wayne's 4-0 shutout of Quad Cities at Modern Woodmen Park.

Box score
Eight of those punchouts came during a stretch in which the 19-year-old southpaw retired 13 in a row.
"I was just getting ahead with the fastball, and when I didn't, I was able to mix some off-speed pitches in there," Allen said. "The same guy [Alexander De Goti] got the only two hits in the game, so he had my number tonight. But my curveball was working well and my changeup was getting a lot of swings-and-misses, especially behind in the count. Everything was working."
De Goti lined a single to center to lead off the first and Allen walked Ronnie Dawson to begin the second, but from there, Allen settled into a groove.

"Facing a lineup the second time around is easier sometimes because you get a better look at the hitters," the 2015 eighth-round pick said. "But for me, it's just about slowing things down. I'd get a little excited and try to go out there and rush. Tonight was much better. I was able to slow myself down, stay calm and just throw strikes out of the gate.
"Me and [catcher] Marcus Greene, we were cruising together and we were on the same page, so that felt good to get on a roll like that. It also made pitching a lot easier with our hitters getting me some runs. It was easier to throw strikes and just attack after that."
Working under a higher pitch count one month into the season, Allen is still hoping to become more economical on the mound.
"Last year and even part of this year, my biggest battle is inefficiency," said Allen, who posted a 3.33 ERA over 54 innings last season with Fort Wayne. "I'm getting through five innings, but I'm getting through five innings on 90 pitches. I want to be able to get through five innings on 70 pitches or 65. I want to be pitching better to contact, getting ahead of hitters and obviously limiting the walks."

With 11 free passes issued over 24 innings so far this season, he understands that number will catch up to him if he doesn't do a better job of containing it.
"I'm getting away with a lot of them," Allen said. "But I'm building off every start and I'm getting better and better, so that's always a plus."
Right-hander Blake Rogers took over in the seventh and worked two scoreless innings before David Bednar finished the ninth on 15 pitches.
Brad Zunica belted a two-run homer and No. 12 Padres prospect Hudson Potts collected a pair of hits and a run for the TinCaps.