Burrows shines in SeaWolves opener

Beau Burrows isn't entering this season with any specific measurable goals, like being promoted to Triple-A or earning an invite to Spring Training in 2019. He figures if he takes care of his own business, that will take care of itself.
His first Double-A start in 2018 was a positive sign. 

Gameday box score
Detroit's No. 4 prospect dominated on Opening Night, allowing one hit and striking out six over five scoreless innings Thursday as Erie shut down Reading, 7-1, on Thursday at FirstEnergy Stadium. Burrows walked two, throwing 39 of 70 pitches for strikes. 
It marked the MLB.com's No. 78 overall prospect first scoreless outing since tossing six without allowing a run in Erie's 11-0 win over New Hampshire on Aug. 12, 2017. 
"Just staying healthy and maintaining my strength and abilities are my biggest goals, along with just keep learning and getting better everyday," Burrows said. "Yeah, it'd be nice to get an invite to Spring Training next year and get a callup to Triple-A, but I'm just going to stay here and do what I do." 

On Thursday, he breezed through the Fightin Phils lineup, allowing just one baserunner to reach scoring position -- Emmanuel Marrero  advanced on Zach Coppola 's sacrifice in the third inning. Burrows (1-0) induced six groundouts, including three in a row in a hitless fifth that wrapped up his evening. 
"My goal is to keep the ball down in the zone as much as possible, and then go up or in if I need to," Burrows said.
Jake Robson led the SeaWolves offense by going 3-for-5 with a double and two RBIs. Tigers No. 25 prospect Sergio Alcántara  was 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles and two runs scored, while fifth-ranked Jake Rogers  also drove in two runs. 
Burrows made 15 starts for Erie last season, going 6-4 with a 4.72 ERA. The Fort Worth, Texas native posted stellar strikeout numbers, fanning 8.8 per nine innings, but had trouble limiting baserunners, averaging 9.3 hits and 3.9 walks. 
"My biggest difference I saw was the hitters were a lot more patient and had a better approach than most of those hitters in (Class A Advanced). But I just had to learn that you have know that you're better than them and you have to throw them your best stuff and just get them out." 

Burrows felt like an Eastern League veteran in his first start of 2018. 
"(In) my first start last year in Double-A, I was pretty anxious and pretty nervous," Burrows said. "But this start tonight, I guess I was more used to the hitters and the environment. It was a better feeling having those starts last year coming into tonight's start."
Erie manager Andrew Graham is no stranger to Burrows abilities, as he managed the right-hander while he was at Class A West Michigan in 2016 and in Class A Advanced Lakeland in 2017. He's been impressed with his aplomb disposition on the mound ever since he first managed him as a 19-year-old. 
"For his age, he's very mature on the mound," Graham said. "He's got good composure, he doesn't show his body language, that's something I've worked hard with him, as well as his other pitching coaches, to not show his body language and he has stayed composed."
The biggest thing stopping Burrows from moving up the Tigers' Minor League system has been the consistency of his offspeed pitches. But even that was a positive Thursday, with Graham noting his slider was an effective pitch he could throw for strikes. 
"He knows he has got good enough stuff to get guys out, but he just needs to work on the consistency of his offspeed, which is something that's stopped him from moving farther up the chain right now and that he's got that in his back pocket," Graham said. "And when that happens, he'll be even quicker to Triple-A and possibly the big leagues." 
In a strange juxtaposition, one of Burrows' calmest starts in Double-A was followed by a heater fire in Reading's dugout that caused play to briefly halt in between the sixth and seventh. 
"It's the first time I've ever seen that," the 21-year-old said. "One of the weirder things I've seen in a Minor League game, up near the top of the list. ... Some people said they could see flames, but I couldn't see any."
The fire in the Fightin Phils dugout could be a good omen if Burrows scorches the Eastern League in 2018. 
"He came a long way in his last season from the year before and I expect him to make greater strides this year. And so far from what I've seen, I like what I see," Graham said. "He's had a great career so far, but I expect him to do better things."