Cole Irvin among impressive minor-league Phillies pitchers in first week

Lehigh Valley lefthander Cole Irvin shook off a difficult first inning to finish with a memorable triple-A debut Monday. After allowing two first-inning runs, he settled down in the IronPigs' 5-3 loss at Scranton/Wilkes Barre.

A fifth-round draft choice out of Oregon in 2016, Irvin allowed the two runs in five innings, striking out 10 and walking just one. He threw 83 pitches, 51 for strikes.

"I didn't execute pitches early, and that is why you saw two early runs," Irvin told the IronPigs radio broadcasters. "… It was a little bit of a rocky start, but what is rocky if I had 10 strikeouts?"

Irvin, who turned 24 in January, split last season between Clearwater and Reading and struck out 118 in 151 1/3 innings.

The 10 strikeouts tied a career high set last year with Reading.

Reading third baseman/first baseman Zach Green took a while to get in the groove last season for good reason. He didn't appear in his first game until June 27 because of a right elbow sprain.

"Honestly, I didn't start feeling confident until I played in the Arizona Fall League when I got a better feel for my body and was able to play instinctively," Green said.

A 2012 third-round draft choice, the 24-year-old Green, who made 51 plate appearances at Reading last year after rehabbing in the Gulf Coast League and then playing at Clearwater, is off to a quick start in his first week this season, hitting .364.

There were plenty of other top pitching performances this week in the Phillies' system. Enyel De Los Santos, the 22-year-old acquired from San Diego in the Freddy Galvis trade, allowed one run in five innings, striking out seven and walking one in his Leigh Valley debut during Tuesday's 5-2 loss at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. According to IronPigs announcer Matt Provence, his fastball topped at 97 mph and his change-up was in the 84-91 range. … On Wednesday, Lakewood righthander Ramon Rosso struck out 12 and allowed one run in five innings in a 4-3, 10-inning win over the host West Virginia Power. The 6-foot-4 Rosso, who will turn 22 in June, is in his second season in the Phillies organization. … Clearwater righthander Connor Seabold, 22, a third round pick last year out of Cal State Fullerton, struck out a career-high nine batters in 5 1/3 innings during Wednesday's 6-4 loss to Jupiter. … Entering Thursday's game against Jupiter, Clearwater outfielder Mickey Moniak, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 draft, is hitting .130 (3 for 23).

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