Crabs' Cabrera dominates for seven frames

Génesis Cabrera allowed two hits over seven innings on May 2. It took him under a month to top that performance.
Tampa Bay's No. 28 prospect allowed one hit in seven scoreless innings as Class A Advanced Charlotte topped Daytona, 3-2, in eight innings in the first game of Thursday's doubleheader. Cabrera struck out a season-high seven and walked one.

Gameday box score
The 20-year-old lefty was locked in from the start, striking out leadoff man Alfredo Rodriguez, the No. 10 Reds prospect on three pitches. Two hitters later, he won a 10-pitch battle against top Cincinnati prospect Nick Senzel, getting him swinging to end the frame.
Cabrera retired the first eight batters before Mitch Piatnik doubled to left field on an 0-2 pitch with two outs in the third inning. The Dominican Republic native was unfazed, bouncing back to strike out Rodriguez on a foul tip and retiring the next nine batters before walking Rodriguez with two outs in the sixth.
After taking care of four more batters to complete the seventh with 81 pitches, Cabrera -- whose threw a season-high 100 pitches on May 2 against Lakeland -- exited in favor of Drew Smith to start the eighth. The righty allowed two singles and struck out two of the first four batters faced.
A throwing error by catcher Brett Sullivan allowed Chris Okey and Blake Butler to move into scoring position. Rodriguez followed with a two-run single to break the scoreless tie.
In the bottom of the frame,  David Olmedo-Barrera singled to the left side and Jake Fraley walked to set the stage for Brandon Lowe's three-run walk-off homer off right-hander Tanner Rainey (0-2).
Cabrera's start continued his excellent recovery after the 6-foot-1, 170-pound hurler surrendered 10 runs on seven hits with six walks over five innings in his first two starts at the Class A Advanced level. In his last eight starts, he's given up two or more runs twice, posted three scoreless outings and is 3-2 with a 1.32 ERA and 0.90 WHIP.
"He'd get too quick with his delivery at times," Stone Crabs pitching coach Steve Watson told MiLB.com. "He doesn't allow himself to get back on his back leg to a balance point, and he would open up early and let his arm drag and get underneath pitches. But he just learned to slow himself down a bit to feel his balance point and continue to drive the baseball on line to the catcher's glove."

Wendolyn Bautista matched Cabrera with seven scoreless innings, allowing four hits and two walks.
Brandon Lawson (1-1) got the final out of the eighth to pick up the win.
After notching the only multi-hit performance of Game 1, Olmedo-Barrera went 3-for-3 with a triple and two runs scored as Charlotte took the nightcap, 6-2.
Reds No. 13 prospect Shed Long went 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored in the second game for the Tortugas.