TRENTON- Ronald Herrera is back from Triple A Scranton-Wilkes Barre, and that is bad news for Eastern League batters. After making one start for the Yankees Triple A affiliate, Herrera returned this week to Trenton (8-6). He was lights out Thursday night, on the back of his commanding first start. Herrera threw well on April 10, in his first start for...
TRENTON- Ronald Herrera is back from Triple A Scranton-Wilkes Barre, and that is bad news for Eastern League batters.
After making one start for the Yankees Triple A affiliate, Herrera returned this week to Trenton (8-6). He was lights out Thursday night, on the back of his commanding first start.
Herrera threw well on April 10, in his first start for Trenton, and may have been better Thursday. He held the Akron Rubber Ducks at bay all night, until a two-run home run in the eighth, to earn his second win of the season in the Thunder's 5-2 win.
"He has great command, as we all know," Thunder manager Bobby Mitchell said. "He commanded the strike zone really well, and mixed his pitches really well.
"His changeup was awesome," Mitchell said. "He threw his changeup a lot, when he was behind in counts, and he kept them off balance the entire game."
Herrera retired 15 straight batters, from the second inning until the seventh, before a double from Rubber Ducks centerfielder Bradley Zimmer broke up the streak. He had good command of his repertoire, and now has allowed just three runs and seven hits in his 13 innings with the Thunder.
"I was very focused on my two-seam fastball, and as soon as I started hitting my corners with that pitch, I was able to mix all my pitches," Herrera said through interpreter, and Thunder pitching coach, Jose Rosado. "That is something I have been focused on for my professional career, to be able to mix all of my pitches for strikes.
"I still have a long way to go, to continue to get better than that," Herrera said. "But that is something I have been working on for all of my career."
Jake Cave had the big blow for Trenton in the four-run second inning, with a bases-clearing double off Akron starter Rob Kaminsky (1-2) that gave the hosts a 4-0 lead. Cave came around to score on Dante Bichette Jr.'s RBI single two batters later.
Those were all of the runs Herrera needed. With all of his pitches working, Herrera (2-0) allowed just three hits in 7.2 innings of work, in the first of a four-game set against the Rubber Ducks (10-4). He got the Trenton homestand started well, with nine strikeouts, as the Thunder look to kick on from a 3-4 road trip.
Rosado has been impressed with the 20-year old in his two Thunder starts.
"You don't get to see too many guys at that young of an age be able to mix all four of his pitches for strikes," Rosado said. "And being able to pitch behind in counts, and also early in counts with breaking balls. You don't get to see that with too many guys."
"The Yankees organization feel pretty good about what we have over here with him," Rosado said. "He still has a long way to go, but as his pitching coach, I feel like he is in the right spot. He likes to work, and never takes anything for granted. He is very focused on every single pitch, in every outing, and every moment of his baseball career."
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Thunder shortstop Tyler Wade continued his torrid start to the 2016 season, as he reached base for the 14th consecutive game Thursday night. Wade moved his on base percentage above .450, and scored two runs in the first two innings, as the Thunder opened up their five-run lead.
Wade is the catalyst at the top of the lineup for Trenton. He has at least one hit in all but three of the Thunder games, and is hitting .313, with 12 runs scored, and 11 walks. His defense was key for Herrera, as he turned double plays in each of the first two innings, to allow Herrera to settle into his dominant performance.
"That is just kind of a momentum shift right there," Wade said. "It kills an inning, and gives us a little momentum. It carried us for the whole game."
"How about those double plays we turned early," Mitchell said. "Those were huge. That was really huge."
"Those double plays, and then just (Herrera's) pitching, keeping the ball down," Mitchell said. "He keeps the ball down so well. Then when he wants to go up, he goes up in the zone, which makes him more effective."
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Akron's Clint Frazier was the other batter to get a hit off of Herrera in his 7.2 innings of work.
Frazier, the second-ranked prospect in the Indians organization, was a first round pick in the 2013 Major League Baseball draft. He joined Yankees catching prospect Gary Sanchez as a member of the Arizona Fall League Top Prospects team for the 2015 campaign.