Buies Creek's Bailey blows away Red Sox

Since the end of June, Brandon Bailey has been improving each time out.
On Wednesday, the Astros' No. 29 prospect had his best outing yet, tossing five no-hit frames as Class A Advanced Buies Creek walked off with a 1-0, 10-inning triumph over Salem at Jim Perry Stadium.

"When I got to the Astros, I kind of started from scratch with my slider and curveball," Bailey said. "It took me a little while to get fully comfortable with those pitches. On top of that, I changed my stretch delivery. But ever since the second half started, the breaking balls really started to click and I have a really good feel for them with my grip.
"The stretch delivery feels fluid and comfortable, so I think I feel like all four of my pitches are working for strikes. I can attack through the strike zone and simplify the game and make quality pitches and let my defense work."
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Bailey began his night by retiring nine in a row, striking out the last two batters in the opening inning and another in the second. He walked Tyler Hill to begin the fourth and issued another free pass to Red Sox No. 12 prospect Bobby Dalbec but escaped unscathed by striking out Roldani Baldwin.
The right-hander exited after a 1-2-3 fifth having thrown 34 of 55 pitches for strikes. It was his first hitless outing since a three-inning stint for Class A Short Season Vermont on July 19, 2016. Last time out, Bailey yielded three hits over five scoreless frames in a win over Down East on July 12. He hasn't allowed a run since June 30, reducing his ERA from 3.59 to 2.90 during that stretch.
That run can be attributed to the off-speed pitches starting to come together, along with a grasp of command.
"I learned the new curveball during Spring Training," Bailey said. "About halfway through the season so far, right around June, I started over [on] the slider and found a grip at the end of June that I felt comfortable with. That's when it all finally came back together. When you start from scratch with both of your breaking balls, that can be a tough thing to do. I feel like those are my pitches now and I'm rolling with it."

Bailey has walked just four batters during this recent stretch after struggling with location early in the season.
"Early on in the year, I think I was stressing a bit coming in the trade from Oakland," the 23-year-old said. "Going to the defending world champions, you want to show what you can do. Sometimes as an athlete you can want something too much and you try to do more instead of letting your body do what it naturally does. It got a little bit in my head. I've never walked that many people in my life. I was pressing a bit on top of changing my stretch delivery."
Gabriel Valdez kept the no-hitter going until Chris Madera led off the ninth with a single. Carlos Sanabria (1-0) pitched a scoreless 10th and got his first Carolina League win after Corey Julks drove in the game's only run with a walk-off sacrifice fly that scored Astros No. 26 prospect Chuckie Robinson.