Wilson dominant in seven frames for Rome

In spite of delivering the best performance of his professional career Sunday, Bryse Wilson easily identified the thorn in his side. 
Atlanta's No. 24 prospect posted career highs with eight strikeouts over seven innings as Class A Rome defeated Asheville, 3-1, at McCormick Field. Wilson (4-2) hit Vince Fernandez with a pitch and also surrendered a solo shot to the right fielder -- the only baserunners of the contest against the right-hander.

"I was able to locate the fastball really well and I was able to command my offspeeds," Wilson said. "I had one offspeed get away from me, but other than that, it was pretty good. I had some good plays from the defense behind me."
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Over 13 starts spanning 65 2/3 innings in his first full season, the fourth-round pick in last year's Draft sports a 2.33 ERA with 64 strikeouts while holding opponents to a .208 batting average. Wilson threw 64 of his 91 pitches for strikes to eclipse his previous record of six strikeouts, a mark he reached against Greensboro on May 5 and Augusta on May 27.
"Three or four of my strikeouts were on high fastballs. I was able to expand the zone up and down, as well as going in with the fastball, then coming back away with the breaking pitch," the North Carolina native said. "You know when you're striking people out, you're getting quick outs and pounding the zone and keeping your pitch count low."
Wilson got through a 1-2-3 opening inning with a pair of strikeouts before plunking Fernandez with a payoff pitch to lead off the second. He induced a popout and a pair of groundouts to strand Fernandez and begin a string of eight consecutive outs.
In the fourth, Wilson fanned Jose Gomez and Colton Welker to strike out to start the inning, but left a first-pitch changeup out over the plate that Fernandez drove over the fence in right-center field.
"The changeup has been a work in progress all season. It's starting to get a little better, but that one kind of just got away from me a little bit," he said. "I was able to come back and get my composure. You can't really let it bother you. You just kind of forget about it, have a short-term memory and then attack the next batter."

Wilson, who is one of three ranked pitchers on Rome's staff, rebounded from the homer by retiring the final 13 batters he faced, striking out four over that span while pitching into the seventh for the first time in his career.
"It feels really good, I had gone a couple six-inning outings," he said. "It feels good to kind of just get through seven innings and to be able to keep the pitch count at what it needs to be in order to make it that long."
Wilson was relieved by left-hander Adam McCreery, who allowed a hit and a walk and struck out four in the final two innings for his second save. Justin Ellison finished a triple shy of the cycle, driving in a pair and scoring once for Rome.