Sims bounces back in Gwinnett shutout

A trying month did nothing to shake Lucas Sims' confidence. Despite giving up 18 runs over 19 1/3 innings in his previous four outings, he entered his start on Saturday poised to turn things around.
"I knew that it wasn't going to snowball into anything," Sims said. "I knew I was prepared to go out there and perform the best I could."
The Braves' No. 18 prospect turned in the longest outing of his career, allowing three hits over eight innings, in Triple-A Gwinnett's 9-0 blanking of Charlotte at Coolray Field. He struck out seven batters and walked two.

Gameday box score
The 23-year-old right-hander was in control early and held the Knights hitless until Jason Bourgeois singled with two outs in the fifth.
"I was just trying to throw all my pitches aggressive and down in the zone and try to go right after guys," Sims said. "I was trying to keep them off-balance as best as I could."

The sixth presented the lone threat to Sims as he allowed singles to Everth Cabrera and Jacob May, wrapped around a walk to top overall prospect  Yoán Moncada. But catcher Braeden Schlehuber threw out Cabrera trying to stealing second and the infield turned a double play against Nicky Delmonico to get out of the jam.
"They were outstanding tonight," Sims said. "Everybody did their job and my main mindset was to keep going after the hitters and keep the defense awake. I was just trying to control what I can control, and they took care of me behind me."
While the 2012 first-round pick was holding Charlotte in check, fourth-ranked White Sox prospectLucas Giolito was doing the same until serving up a leadoff homer to Matt Tuiasosopo in the seventh.
"I've actually known [Giolito] since we played a couple of events together in high school," Sims said. "It's always fun to compete against somebody you know and be able to toe the rubber together and kind of go at it. It was a fun matchup."
The Georgia native outlasted Giolito and retired the final six batters he faced, throwing 72 strikes of 103 pitches for strikes.

"I was just trying to be more efficient and get quick outs," Sims said. "I just found the strike zone tonight."
Rhiner Cruz struck out two in a perfect ninth to complete the Braves' fourth shutout.
Kyle Kubitza paced the Gwinnett offense with three hits, while Jace Peterson, Xavier Avery and Schlehuber drove in two runs apiece.