EL notes: Sharp fine-tuning his approach

Sterling Sharp's Harrisburg debut went about as well as one could've hoped for -- one hit over seven scoreless innings and his first Double-A win.
His second start, not so much.
However, despite being battered around by Richmond to the tune of nine earned runs over two innings, the right-hander has used the outing as a gut-check -- one from which he's rebounded quite nicely.

"They hit mistakes better than they do in [Class A Advanced ball]. I learned that my second game here," explained Washington's No. 25 prospect, who earned a promotion to Harrisburg late in June after going 5-3 with a 3.16 ERA in 14 starts with Potomac. "I had the ball elevated, and they pounded the first pitch, and if they didn't do that, I went 1-0 in the count. You get behind in the count, that's tough to battle back from. … It humbles you a little bit."
In his three starts since that outing, the Nationals' 22nd-round selection from the 2016 Draft has shown no disruption in stuff or execution. Versus three of the Eastern League's top five offenses -- Bowie, Hartford and New Hampshire -- Sharp went 1-0 with a 1.89 ERA, allowing four earned runs over 19 innings.
For the 6-foot-4 hurler, it was all just a matter of trust.
"You just have to trust your stuff," Sharp said. "You're here for a reason. I believe that, and I trust myself. That's just one game, and that's the first one this year that's really gotten away from me. Trust my stuff, go back and battle, get the ball down in the zone, get ahead and get me back on track."

In the offseason, he worked with Oakland A's pitcher Jharel Cotton on introducing a slider to complement his sinker and changeup.
Sharp has also worked diligently at incorporating his two-seamer and sinker to left-handed hitters in an effort to open up both sides of the plate. He credits these efforts with helping get him ready for Double-A, and hopes that as he continues to hone these parts of the game they in turn will make him more prepared to push through and succeed at the next levels as well.
"Adding a third pitch and being able to throw all speeds in whatever count you need, especially in Double-A now, I've figured that out," he said. "If you do get ahead, you've got to be able to land that off-speed and keep them guessing. … I would say this is a pretty good spot for me. I want to keep pushing the envelope and force their hand and keep moving up as fast as I can."

In brief

Summer heat: Altoona's Cole Tucker continues to find his stroke. After hitting .233 over April and May, the Pirates' No. 4 prospect is hitting .288 with 12 extra-base hits, 34 runs scored and 21 stolen bases in June and July. Comparing his April with his July, the Curve shortstop went 0-for-3 on stolen base attempts, scored 12 runs and drove in seven in the opening month of the season. This month, Tucker is a clean 8-for-8 on steal attempts, has crossed the plate 20 times and driven in 12 runs.
Quantum leap: Binghamton right-hander Justin Dunn is 4-0 with a 2.55 ERA and 27 strikeouts in 24 2/3 innings over his four July starts. Since joining the Rumble Ponies on an early June promotion, the Mets' No. 4 prospect has gone 5-2 with a 2.66 ERA and 56 strikeouts in eight starts. The Boston College product has thrown at least six innings in all but one of his starts since arriving in Binghamton and has allowed one or no runs in five starts.
Portland's 'pen pal: Over 17 relief appearances through June and July, Portland's Travis Lakins has proved hard to hit, holding opponents to a .100 batting average and allowing six hits over 18 innings. The No. 16 Red Sox prospect also has a neat 1.00 ERA over that span, allowing a single earned run in just two of those 18 outings. On the season, the Sea Dogs right-hander, who had been earning his innings at the beginning of games until the end of May, has held opponents to a .194 batting average, allowing 26 hits over 36 innings.