Cloyd a perfect replacement for Iron Pigs
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Cloyd a perfect replacement for Iron Pigs
Bob Brookover, Inquirer Baseball Columnist
PITTSBURGH -- The most interesting minor-league story on opening day was at Allentown's Coca-Cola Park, where righthander Tyler Cloyd made his seasonal debut by pitching six perfect innings in triple-A Lehigh Valley's 3-0 win over the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees on Thursday night.
That Cloyd, an 18th-round pick by the Phillies in the 2008 draft, opened with six perfect innings was impressive enough. What made it even more interesting was the fact that he was supposed to open the season with double-A Reading.
Cloyd got called up to Lehigh Valley because scheduled opening-day starter Dave Bush was suspended for five games by Major League Baseball after the Iron Pigs were involved in a bench-clearing brawl with Pittsburgh's triple-A team during a spring-training game.
Cloyd was 9-4 with a 2.77 ERA in 31 games with single-A Clearwater and Reading last season. He told reporters in Allentown that he got the call to join the Iron Pigs about 9 p.m. Wednesday. He had been scheduled to pitch the second game of Reading's opening-night doubleheader with Portland.
"He rose to the occassion, gave us a big lift and more," Iron Pigs manager Ryne Sandberg said on the Easton Express-Times web site. "Really, it was the first time I saw him throw a baseball. He was very impressive to me and gave us what we needed and then some."
The Phillies are loaded with future center fielders. Just look at Friday's games. At AAA Ryne Sandberg moved Derrick Mitchell to center after he made two outstanding catches in the one hitter on Thursday night playing in right field. He responded with a sacrifice fly RBI in the 6-5 win. At AA Tyson Gillies went 4 for 5 and Jiwan James went 3 for 4 with a home run in Readings 9-4 win. After the Cain deal Ruben needs more payroll flexibility to get Hamels. The best way to do is to let Victorino walk after the season or even move him during the season and go young in center.— Dull- Cloyd has average fastball but supurb location and funky change.
Saw him opening night and he reminds me of Worley. Mitchell, by the way, is a fearless fielder. Brownie is 0-7 so far and so it goes.— NewMick314
