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With pitching the main topic of discussion in New York this winter, Yankees prospect Phil Hughes remains in Arizona, making his case for another shot in the Bronx next spring.
Hughes struck out six and allowed just two hits over five scoreless innings as the Peoria Javelinas beat the visiting Surprise Rafters, 8-6, on Friday.
"I felt good, I felt strong," said Hughes. "I haven't felt strong like this in a while, so it felt good up there."
Making his sixth start of the fall, Hughes threw 52 of his 80 pitches for strikes and limited the Rafters to a single, a triple and a walk. It was the third time the 22-year-old has fanned at least five in an AFL start.
"Everything feels good right now," he said. "I feel stronger with every outing."
The injury-plagued starter made just 16 appearances in the regular season between the Minors and the Bronx, but has rebounded well and stayed healthy in Arizona. The organization's top pitching prospect said he still hopes he can make an impact this April.
"I'm getting better and crisper," said Hughes. "It's important for me to get some innings in."
Hughes struck out Josh Rodriguez (Indians) to end the fifth and his afternoon, his second strikeout of the frame. He took a no-hitter into the fourth after walking Dodgers farmhand Jamie Hoffmann to start the game.
Hughes hit the Yankees' disabled list on April 29 with a fractured rib, a lingering injury that kept him sidelined until Sept. 17, limiting him to only eight starts. He said the Javelinas have tabbed him for one final appearance this fall.
"I haven't had any setbacks, so that's encouraging," said Hughes. "Hopefully I can have a good last start."
Hughes lines up to pitch in Peoria's final game on Nov. 20 against Phoenix. He's allowed two earned runs or fewer in five of his six appearances, holding batters to a .233 average in his first five starts. His 3.60 ERA is mostly the result of an Oct. 18 loss to Scottsdale in which he surrendered seven runs in 2 2/3 frames.
"Every time you go out, you work on things, but the big thing for me is to work on innings," said Hughes, who logged only 69 2/3 frames in the regular season. "But that's not to say I'm not going to work on my changeup or cutter. There's been a few bumps with some outings, but overall I've felt good. There's been quite a few good outings out there this year."
New York's first round pick in 2004 said his velocity has been right where he wants it this fall.
"It's been where I expected it, if not better," he said. "I really haven't felt this strong in quite a while, and I don't know what that's attributed to. But my velocity is right around where it normally is."
Friday's start offered another promising stat -- only one walk. The right-hander had issued 12 free passes in 20 frames coming into his sixth appearance.
"I was getting ahead with my fastball and was able to put them away with my fastball," he said. "I was throwing my breaking pitches for strikes and my put-away pitches when I needed to. Just getting ahead and staying ahead in the count."
Walks hurt Hughes over the summer, leading to an 0-4 record and a 6.62 ERA for the Yanks. With speculation growing each day on potential free-agent starters for the club, Hughes said he'll be ready to go when the team heads to Tampa in March.
"I'm going to take the same attitude I take every year, but obviously the Yankees are going to make moves to put the best team out there they can," said Hughes. "I'll go into Spring Training in the best possible shape, ready to make the team. I'll keep working hard and doing what I need to do.
"That's been my philosophy since I was 19, nothings going to change for me," he added.
Peoria (14-19) staked Hughes to a 4-0 lead by the fourth inning. Rays catcher Matt Spring homered and drove in two runs, Milwaukee's Brent Brewer hit a solo shot in the fourth and Mariners shortstop Carlos Triunfel added two RBIs.
Reds reliever Robert Manuel (1-0) worked the final 1 2/3 innings to pick up the win.
Surprise (9-24) scored four in the eighth but failed to tie it up. Joe Dickerson fell a triple shy of the cycle and drove in three runs and fellow Royals prospect Brian McFall added two RBIs.
Dodgers reliever Travis Schlichting (0-1) allowed two runs -- one earned -- on two hits in one inning to suffer the loss.
Hughes struck out six and allowed just two hits over five scoreless innings as the Peoria Javelinas beat the visiting Surprise Rafters, 8-6, on Friday.
"I felt good, I felt strong," said Hughes. "I haven't felt strong like this in a while, so it felt good up there."
Making his sixth start of the fall, Hughes threw 52 of his 80 pitches for strikes and limited the Rafters to a single, a triple and a walk. It was the third time the 22-year-old has fanned at least five in an AFL start.
"Everything feels good right now," he said. "I feel stronger with every outing."
The injury-plagued starter made just 16 appearances in the regular season between the Minors and the Bronx, but has rebounded well and stayed healthy in Arizona. The organization's top pitching prospect said he still hopes he can make an impact this April.
"I'm getting better and crisper," said Hughes. "It's important for me to get some innings in."
Hughes struck out Josh Rodriguez (Indians) to end the fifth and his afternoon, his second strikeout of the frame. He took a no-hitter into the fourth after walking Dodgers farmhand Jamie Hoffmann to start the game.
Hughes hit the Yankees' disabled list on April 29 with a fractured rib, a lingering injury that kept him sidelined until Sept. 17, limiting him to only eight starts. He said the Javelinas have tabbed him for one final appearance this fall.
"I haven't had any setbacks, so that's encouraging," said Hughes. "Hopefully I can have a good last start."
Hughes lines up to pitch in Peoria's final game on Nov. 20 against Phoenix. He's allowed two earned runs or fewer in five of his six appearances, holding batters to a .233 average in his first five starts. His 3.60 ERA is mostly the result of an Oct. 18 loss to Scottsdale in which he surrendered seven runs in 2 2/3 frames.
"Every time you go out, you work on things, but the big thing for me is to work on innings," said Hughes, who logged only 69 2/3 frames in the regular season. "But that's not to say I'm not going to work on my changeup or cutter. There's been a few bumps with some outings, but overall I've felt good. There's been quite a few good outings out there this year."
New York's first round pick in 2004 said his velocity has been right where he wants it this fall.
"It's been where I expected it, if not better," he said. "I really haven't felt this strong in quite a while, and I don't know what that's attributed to. But my velocity is right around where it normally is."
Friday's start offered another promising stat -- only one walk. The right-hander had issued 12 free passes in 20 frames coming into his sixth appearance.
"I was getting ahead with my fastball and was able to put them away with my fastball," he said. "I was throwing my breaking pitches for strikes and my put-away pitches when I needed to. Just getting ahead and staying ahead in the count."
Walks hurt Hughes over the summer, leading to an 0-4 record and a 6.62 ERA for the Yanks. With speculation growing each day on potential free-agent starters for the club, Hughes said he'll be ready to go when the team heads to Tampa in March.
"I'm going to take the same attitude I take every year, but obviously the Yankees are going to make moves to put the best team out there they can," said Hughes. "I'll go into Spring Training in the best possible shape, ready to make the team. I'll keep working hard and doing what I need to do.
"That's been my philosophy since I was 19, nothings going to change for me," he added.
Peoria (14-19) staked Hughes to a 4-0 lead by the fourth inning. Rays catcher Matt Spring homered and drove in two runs, Milwaukee's Brent Brewer hit a solo shot in the fourth and Mariners shortstop Carlos Triunfel added two RBIs.
Reds reliever Robert Manuel (1-0) worked the final 1 2/3 innings to pick up the win.
Surprise (9-24) scored four in the eighth but failed to tie it up. Joe Dickerson fell a triple shy of the cycle and drove in three runs and fellow Royals prospect Brian McFall added two RBIs.
Dodgers reliever Travis Schlichting (0-1) allowed two runs -- one earned -- on two hits in one inning to suffer the loss.
