Storm's Patiño brilliant in longest start

Luis Patiño already was working on a career night and one of the best outings of his professional life. Then he got one more out for good measure.
MLB.com's No. 33 overall prospect dazzled over 8 1/3 innings, allowing three hits and striking out nine without issuing a walk, and Padres No. 6 prospectXavier Edwards collected four hits as Class A Advanced Lake Elsinore silenced San Jose, 5-0, on Wednesday at Excite Ballpark.

Storm pitching coach Pete Zamora credited Patiño's success to attacking with his fastball, which rates a 65 on the 20-to-80 scouting scale, according to MLB Pipeline.
"We all know what kind of fastball he has, but his ability to sync up tonight, get into a good rhythm with [catcher Luis Campusano and completely attack the zone, not worried about results or what's going on or how hard he's throwing. His command of the heater tonight was pretty much dominant."
Patiño (6-8) started his night by retiring the first 15 batters, striking out six -- all swinging. The right-hander needed only 11 pitches to retire the side in order in the first inning, 10 in the second and nine in each frame from the third through the fifth.
After Dalton Combs broke up the perfect game bid with a leadoff single to center field in the sixth, Patiño got right back into his groove by retiring the next five Giants. David Villar reached on a two-out single in the seventh on a grounder to third and continued to second on a throwing error by Eguy Rosario, but the 19-year-old stranded him there.
"I think the most important part is he pumps up our team," Zamora said. "We are talking about a team game and that kind of result there, keeping the shutout intact and keeping us in the lead, really pumps up and motivates the team. He's a big-time team ballplayer. He's one of the most unselfish kids I've ever coached, so it was just really good to see the team rally behind him after that kind of effort."
Gameday box score
Ranked fourth among Padres prospects, Patino faced one more jam in the eighth. After setting down the first two batters on grounders to first, he surrendered a double to Heath Quinn. But after going to a 3-1 count on Kyle McPherson, the Colombia native came back to strike him out. It was the fourth time in his career Patiño has recorded nine strikeouts and the third time this season.
At 90 pitches, he took the mound to start the ninth and needed only four pitches to get Manuel Geraldo to bounce to second base. Patiño threw 72 of 94 pitches for strikes.
"It's just staying within yourself. Do everything you can to prepare yourself for that start, and when you get on a roll, don't try to think about it too much. Just keep going," Zamora said. "I thought he really put the blinders on and just kept to his game plan and kept going. He didn't get too high or too low, even after the hit in the sixth; he just kept going. For a 19-year-old to do that, to not get involved in the hoopla of a perfect game or anything like that, he wasn't fazed. That was huge for us to see."
Patiño has taken his game to another level following an appearance in the Futures Game on July 7 in Cleveland. He got the National League out of a jam and went on to retire all five batters he faced in the nationally televised showcase, striking out three. In three starts since rejoining the Storm, he's yielded one earned run on 11 hits over 20 2/3 innings with 25 strikeouts against three walks.
"For me, it's Luis coming together, coming into his own here and dominating with the stuff he has without going outside of himself," Zamora said. "He looked like a veteran tonight, and that's tough to say for a 19-year-old, but he had his plan of attack and never left it. He showed some veteran feel by not getting too excited. He just kept on going."
In Cleveland, top Twins prospect Royce Lewis and top Angels prospect Jo Adell were among Patiño's strikeout victims. On Wednesday, the teenager held Joey Bart and Heliot Ramos -- the Giants' top two prospects -- hitless in eight at-bats, fanning Bart once and Ramos in all four plate appearances.
Javy Guerra recorded the final two outs, nailing down the Storm's California League-leading 12th shutout.

Edwards helped supply pop at the plate for Lake Elsinore. The 38th overall pick in last year's Draft singled to right in the first inning, to center in the third, to left in the fifth and again to right in the sixth. He's recorded four hits five times this season, including a five-hit performance on May 1.
"He's been great since he's been with us," Zamora said. "He just brings energy. A lot of these young kids, they need that good, positive energy. If they have a little swag with each other, a little relationship with each other, one doesn't let the other one get too low or too high. It makes everybody accountable, and Xavier has been great for a young guy. You would think he's a veteran, but he's brought great excitement. He's getting on base and he's making plays."
Campusano chipped in three hits and two RBIs, while Allen Córdoba singled twice, walked, stole a base and scored twice out of the leadoff spot for the Storm.