Mahle posts seven zeros for Blue Wahoos

Having thrown a perfect game and with a near-miniscule ERA two months into the season, a scoreless start might seem rather ordinary to Tyler Mahle. But he prefers to keep things as simple as possible.
"I go out with the same gameplan every game. Get ahead, throw strikes, throw good pitches and see what happens," the No. 9 Reds prospect said. 

Mahle matched his career high with nine strikeouts while scattering three hits and a walk over seven innings as Double-A Pensacola blanked visiting Jacksonville, 6-0, on Tuesday night at Blue Wahoos Stadium. 
Gameday box score
It marked the fourth scoreless outing and the seventh time in 11 starts that Mahle didn't allow more than one run. His ERA dropped to 1.55, the second-lowest mark in the Southern League behind former rotation mate Austin Ross, who garnered a 1.21 ERA prior to his promotion to Triple-A Louisville.
"I try and be as consistent as I can with my pitches, and that's carried over to all of my starts this year," the Westminster, California native said. "The fastball has been working, my changeup has been good and my slider is more consistent than it's ever been."

Mahle (6-2) worked a quick top of the first inning and Eric Jagielo provided him with the only run he ultimately needed with an RBI single in the bottom half. The 22-year-old took control from there, allowing two runners in an inning just once, when Austin Nola singled and Yefri Pérez walked in the third. John Norwood's single in the fourth was negated when he was thrown out trying to steal second by Blue Wahoos catcher Joe Hudson.
Mahle set down the last eight Jumbo Shrimp following Nola's one-out double in the fifth, fanning Marlins No. 3 prospect Brian Anderson to end the sixth. It was the fifth time the right-hander struck out nine batters in a game and the first since April 18, 2016 with Class A Advanced Daytona. 
"Again, it comes down to being as consistent as I can with all of my pitches," the 2013 seventh-round pick said. "You can always take something from every start, good or bad. Instead of throwing every other pitch where I want to, maybe I throw two of three or three of four, but that's what I'm working on."
Mahle's success has been carried over from his previous two seasons, when he posted a 3.03 ERA and won 27 games across three Minor League levels. That reached its peak on April 22 when he tossed the circuit's first perfect game since 1970.
"I think I'm fresher this year. I think I got a little tired and my stuff wasn't coming out of my hand as well as I wanted it to at the end of last season," Mahle said. "I'm already having a better first half this year than I did last year with Daytona. Hopefully, I'll keep it going and see how things go in the second half this time around." 

Reds No. 23 prospect Blake Trahan belted an RBI double while Gabriel Guerrero and Jagielo drove in two runs apiece. 
Brennan Bernardino and Alex Powers worked a perfect inning apiece to secure Pensacola's fourth win in five games.