Good advice spurs Dunedin's Romano
Sometimes a little advice from a seasoned veteran can make all the difference. Just ask Jordan Romano, who admitted as much following his outing on Saturday night.The Blue Jays' No. 22 prospect allowed one run on one hit -- both in the top of the first -- and matched his
Sometimes a little advice from a seasoned veteran can make all the difference. Just ask
The Blue Jays' No. 22 prospect allowed one run on one hit -- both in the top of the first -- and matched his season high with nine strikeouts over seven innings as Class A Advanced Dunedin shut down Bradenton, 3-1, at Florida Auto Exchange Stadium.
Gameday box score
Romano (3-1) plunked
Romano was quick to point out just who helped keep him from careening off-track in the first inning.
"It didn't start off too well after hitting [Ratledge] and then allowing the single," he said. "But
The Oral Roberts product did not allow another baserunner until he plunked Pirates No. 6 prospect
"Tonight was the first time I was matched up with my catcher [
The 2014 10th-round pick has had little trouble shutting down opponents this season. He's given up two runs or fewer in 11 of 13 appearances, including 11 starts. His 2.18 ERA ranks sixth in the Florida State League and his 72 strikeouts are second behind Jupiter's
"When I'm at my best, I'm attacking hitters. I've been able to do a fairly good job of that the entire year, although I always think that I can do better," Romano said. "But tonight I was able to control both sides of the plate. [Bradenton] had a lot of righties, so I went inside with my fastball and used the slider away. Because I was able to pound the ball in on them, they weren't able to cover both sides of the plate. The guys played great behind me when I needed it and everything just clicked tonight."
Romano also has found another strong personal inspiration, and it has to do with the organization he represents.
"Being able to pitch for Toronto is really a great motivator for me," the Ontario native said. "I grew up watching the Blue Jays. I went to a lot of their games and was a huge fan from the time I was a little kid. Just getting drafted by them was awesome and being able to play for the team you grew up rooting for and watching ... yeah, it keeps me going a little bit."
Blue Jays No. 23 prospect
Daniel Young and
Pirates No. 27 prospect
Michael Avallone is a contributor to MiLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @MavalloneMiLB.