Kernels' Beeker earns feast for whitewash

Before the season started, Class A Cedar Rapids pitching coach J.P. Martinez offered a steak dinner to anyone on the staff who could throw a shutout in 100 pitches or fewer. A hungry Clark Beeker made sure to cash in on the opportunity Saturday. 
"I think it's going to be the Outback in Appleton, Wisconsin, when we head up to play the Timber Rattlers in a week or so," the Twins prospect said. "But I'm not complaining." 
Using exactly 100 pitches, Beeker gave up five hits and struck out seven en route to his first career nine-inning shutout as the Kernels blanked Clinton, 2-0, at Perfect Game Field. 

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Beeker (10-3) said he was pleased to pitch deeper into the night after throwing an abbreviated five-inning shutout in April.
"I knew it was probably close, just the fact that they let me stay out there, but I didn't know exactly what the pitch count was," he said. "I think the first guy out of the dugout when we were high-fiving said it was 100 on the dot. That was pretty cool to hear. It brought a sigh of relief and a little smile to my face. It was nice win."
The right-hander, who ranks second in the Midwest League with a 2.31 ERA and 0.96 WHIP, has thrown 17 consecutive scoreless innings dating to July 14. He's worked with catcher Caleb Hamilton, and the two have quickly gelled as batterymates. 
"He does a very good job calling the game. He hasn't been catching for very long," Beeker said. "It's actually funny, I've been throwing to Ben Rortvedt for most of the season, and he does a phenomenal job as well. He's actually my roommate here this summer, so I was giving him a hard time that [Hamilton] was going to be up catching me. Both of our catchers do a good job. We're on the same page and they're working really hard back there. That's all you can ask for as a pitcher."
Having pitched against Clinton twice this season, Beeker devised a game plan based on attacking weaknesses. The 2016 33rd-round pick kept the ball around the plate, throwing 73 strikes while letting his defense record 17 outs behind him. 
"I kind of had a plan of what I wanted to do with each hitter going into it," the 24-year-old said. "I'm not a strikeout pitcher by any means; I'm staying around the zone and changing speeds, keeping hitters off-balance. Anytime I can get some weak contact within the first two or three pitches of an at-bat, that's kind of my goal going into it.
"But probably about the last month or so my pitch count has gone up because after maybe 0-2 or 1-2, I was just being too fine and getting into some deep counts and not putting guys away as quickly as I'd like to." 
Beeker set down the first five hitters he faced before Gareth Morgan doubled with two outs in the second. The Davidson College product got Nick Thurman to bounce out to third to end the threat. An inning later, Johnny Slater ripped a one-out single up the middle, but 27th-ranked Mariners prospect Luis Rengifo grounded into a double play. 
"Sometimes the struggle I'll have is giving up runs in the first inning," the North Carolina native said. "Being able to get that 1-2-3 under you belt, I was able to establish that changeup in the first inning, which mostly this year I hadn't really thrown until about the second time through the lineup. That kind of added some confidence, and I felt really comfortable with the fastball." 
After a perfect fourth, Beeker yielded a single in each of the next three frames but did not allow a runner to get past second base. The 6-foot-3, 205-pound hurler reared back in a spotless eighth to strike out Thurman and Slater. 

"I was able to catch some guys off-balance with the fastball toward the end, they were a little late on it," Beeker said. "It wasn't that I was throwing any harder, but I was able to mix and I felt comfortable enough with the fastball that I was able to let it go and trust that it was going to be in the location that it needed to be." 
At 88 pitches after eight, Beeker wasn't sure if he'd go back for another inning after he scooted past Martinez and manager Tommy Watkins in the dugout. But he was rewarded with the final stanza, retiring Rengifo on a fly ball and fanning Bryson Brigman for the first two outs. No. 16 Mariners prospect Joe Rizzo worked the count to 2-2, lining the seventh pitch of the at-bat at shortstop Joe Cronin to end the game. 
"I was a little nervous in the beginning," Beeker said with a laugh. "The ball was squared up pretty good by Joe Rizzo and Joe Cronin was positioned perfectly, hit it right at him. It was a great feeling."
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Cronin also came through at the plate, driving in both runs with a single and a sacrifice fly, one day after he fell a hit shy of the cycle. 
"Joe's probably one of my better friends on the team, his locker is beside mine," Beeker said. "The other night, he was 3-for-4 with a home run, double and a single, so I was ribbing him about not getting the triple for the cycle. ... I was glad that he was able to pull it through [tonight] and good for him."