JetHawks' Lambert follows recipe for success

Peter Lambert has always had a simple recipe for success on the mound: get ahead, keep the ball down and trust the guys behind him.
The Rockies' eighth-ranked prospect followed those directions again on Saturday and turned in his latest gem, allowing two hits and a walk while striking out six over seven innings in Class A Advanced Lancaster's 2-0 blanking of Inland Empire at San Manuel Stadium. 

Gameday box score
"I was commanding my fastball and my changeup pretty well today and I got some ground balls, a few quick outs and just really let my defense do what they do best," Lambert said.
After Jose Rojas opened the bottom of the first with a single, Lambert promptly induced a ground-ball double play and retired the next nine 66ers.
"I just got settled in after that," the 20-year-old right-hander said. "I just kept trying to get ahead and stay ahead."
Lambert's only trouble came in the fifth when a passed ball put runners on second and third with one out. The 2015 second-round pick stranded them by striking out Cody Ramer and getting Jordan Serena to ground out to third.
"I didn't veer off from my plan," Lambert said. "I just stuck to it and got ahead. Just kept pounding the zone and letting my defense do the thing."
Lambert was pulled after posting 1-2-3 innings in the sixth and seventh. He threw 16 first-pitch strikes to the 23 batters he faced and fired 63 of 89 pitches in the zone.
"My goal every time I go out there is to give my team six, seven strong innings and give them a chance to win the game," he said.
After posting a 3.93 ERA in 26 starts for Class A Asheville last season in the South Atlantic League, Lambert is still learning to navigate the treacherous California League. In his first eight starts, the California native was 2-3 with a 4.87 ERA but had 50 punchouts over 44 1/3 innings.

"I've had my ups and downs," he said. "I just need to continue to trust myself and continue to adjust and keep the ball down and, most importantly, keep getting ahead and stay ahead."
Carlos Polanco tossed a perfect eighth and Salvador Justo shut the door with a clean ninth to pick up his second save of the season. It's the fourth shutout of the season for Lancaster, which produced a combined one-hitter earlier this month against Modesto.
"All together, we just try not to let the conditions of the field get to us and just continue to do what we do," Lambert said. "Just not letting the stuff that we can't control affect our pitching and continue to trust ourselves, throw down in the zone, command the fastball and get ground balls."
Roberto Ramos went 3-for-4 with a double, while Rockies No. 17 prospect Garrett Hampson contributed two hits and an RBI for the JetHawks.