Duval tosses one-hitter for Greensboro

After getting a late start as a professional pitcher, Max Duval harnesses a cutter that not many of his peers in the South Atlantic League can throw. In fact, according to Class A Grasshoppers pitching coach Mark DiFelice, his players aren't allowed to try and work that offering into their repertoire, but the 26-year-old has proved to be an exception.
"We don't like to teach that to guys at young ages. We want them developing their fastball first," DiFelice said. "Guys like Max ... it was a perfect match for him to try to kind of keep pitching and hope for that chance. "

Box score
The Miami right-hander allowed one hit in his second consecutive complete game and first shutout, registering a career-high nine punchouts in Greensboro's 3-0 victory over Kannapolis in Sunday's doubleheader nightcap at Intimidators Field. 
"He was able to control the cutter down in the zone, throwing it inside to left-handed hitters and away to righties," his 40-year-old coach said. "He mixes in the fastball to get them off the cutter, then he had a good breaking ball going today ... that he could bury. He was in total control."
The Marlins signed Duval out of the independent Frontier League on July 28 with the intention of bringing in an experienced pitcher who could help eat innings toward the late part of the season. He's done just that in his first three starts with the Grasshoppers, leaving the bullpen to pick up just four total innings while flirting with a perfect game in his last start on Aug. 8.
"He's kind of been opening up some eyes, I think, the last few outings," DiFelice said. "He's been doing a great job in regards with that. His ability to just keep the ball down has been doing wonders for him going deep into games."

Working with Duval has brought back memories for DiFelice of his own late-stage development as a pitcher, particularly as a right-hander who reached the big leagues after figuring out how to throw the cutter long after he could still be considered a prospect.
"I was 29, I think, when I learned that pitch and I think Max was 25 when he learned," the Pennsylvania native said. "It's one of those pitches that we call 'career-savers.'"
After 10 seasons in the Minors, DiFelice debuted with the Brewers in 2008 at age 31. He said he was taught the cutter by Adolfo Navarro, his coach in Mexican Winter Ball.
"I picked it up pretty quickly, used it in a game probably three days later," DiFelice said. "It was kind of eye-opening for me because I had trouble throwing inside with my four-seam fastball, glove side to left-handed hitters. Now I had a pitch that was an equalizer. It's one of those pitches where it really give the hitters fits. It comes in like a fastball and moves a little bit off of the barrel."
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Duval did not surrender a hit over the first 4 2/3 innings Sunday, working around a free pass to Mitch Roman in the second inning and shortstop Luis Pintor's throwing error that allowed Grant Massey to reach in the third.
The California native plunked Casey Schroeder with two outs in the fifth and Aaron Schnurbusch followed with the Intimidators' only hit, a single on a line to left. Duval then got Massey to bounce out before a perfect sixth and seventh to end the game in 85 pitches, 65 of which were strikes.
Eric Gutierrez knocked in Greensboro's run with a single to left in the third. He also plated a run on a 10th-inning base hit to center as part of a 3-for-4 performance in the afternoon game, a 4-1 win for the Grasshoppers.