'It was a blast': Kerry fans career-high 12

What’s better than setting a career high in strikeouts to start the season? Breaking that record the very next start.

That’s what Brett Kerry did Thursday night. The right-handed Angels prospect fanned 12 while allowing one run on one hit over five innings in Double-A Rocket City's 5-3 loss to Pensacola. In his first start of the season against Birmingham on April 8, he racked up eight whiffs over five shutout innings.

“I was definitely able to get behind the ball well and feel myself being vertical down the mound so I could get some good ride up in the zone, just utilizing that fastball up in the zone,” Kerry said. “Getting that up-and-away fastball for the swing-and-misses definitely helped, and having good feel on my breaking stuff to get them off the fastball helped.”

Kerry’s first frame was a good indicator of what was to come, as he struck out the side on 17 pitches. He retired Victor Victor Mesa and Ray-Patrick Didder on seven pitches apiece.

“Kind of first-inning jitters, I guess, first time ever throwing at home,” Kerry said of his first-inning pitch count. “It was just kind of a matter of settling in and getting a feel for the mound and just getting out there.”

The Rocket City crowd was unwavering in its support, both on and off the field. In the top of the second, a fan caught a foul ball and proceeded to chug down his beer while Kerry was on the mound. He didn’t see it happen, but he definitely heard the reaction.

“I was about to throw, and I’m like, ‘Why is the crowd going crazy right now?’ It’s not like I just did anything,” Kerry laughed.

Maybe the cheers helped settle him down, though. The second went much smoother for Kerry – he threw only 12 pitches and struck out two more Blue Wahoos – before he really turned on cruise control, punching out six of the next seven batters he faced.

“There were some butterflies when I was throwing in front of the home crowd,” Kerry said. “I feel like you have to show out for them, but it was definitely a blast. They’re a great group to throw in front of.”

By the fifth, the 23-year-old had racked up 11 strikeouts, and he was on pace for a spotless outing after he retired the first two batters of the inning on four pitches. Kerry fell behind to Cobie Fletcher-Vance, 2-1, and the third baseman made him pay by swatting a solo homer to left-center to tie the game, 1-1. Kerry bounced back quickly with a three-pitch strikeout of Luis Aviles Jr. to complete the outing.

All told, the South Carolina alum fanned 12 of the 17 batters he faced, firing 49 of his 72 pitches for strikes and generating 13 swings-and-misses. Eight of his strikeouts came on swings and four were caught looking.

“My main focus in the offseason was just trying to refine myself as a starting pitcher so I can go deep into games,” Kerry said. “The main thing for me is kind of just staying healthy. I want to make sure that for now, I can be competing and throwing at this type of level at the end of the season.”

The 2021 fifth-round Draft pick made five starts last year, allowing just two earned runs over 14 1/3 innings across Single- and Double-A. In two starts to begin 2022, Kerry has allowed one run on six hits and a walk while striking out 20 over 10 innings.