ALTOONA, Pa. — It might have taken six starts, but the wait was worth it as Altoona's Cody Bolton notched his first Double-A win Sunday night against Richmond.
Bolton was dominant at Bradenton: 6-3 with a 1.61 ERA in 12 starts over 61 2/3 innings, 69 strikeouts to 14 walks, .174 batting average against and a minuscule 0.86 WHIP. However, after his promotion to Altoona on June 26, the right-hander struggled, giving up four earned runs in each of his first three starts.
In his fourth start, Bolton went six shutout innings — with one strikeout — before the bullpen yielded the game's only run in the seventh. Following that outing, the North Carolina native scuffled again, going only three innings while giving up three runs on five hits.
Sunday's performance showed why Bolton is considered among the Pirates’ top pitching prospects and showed his capabilities against Double-A competition. Bolton went six innings allowing three hits and striking out eight.
"That feeling is really good," Bolton said following the game. "It's been five starts and I (hadn't) gotten that 'W', but tonight it was a lot of fun."
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