Ace T. J. Burton celebrates turning 20, shuts down Muckdogs with best outing

The Scrappers starter gave up one run in five innings against the Muckdogs.
By BILL SULLIVAN
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
NILES -- A day after he turned age 20, T.J. Burton gave a huge present to the Mahoning Valley Scrappers by pitching them to an 8-2 win over the Batavia Muckdogs at Cafaro Field Thursday.
"It was probably his best outing, composure-wise," Scrappers manager Ted Kubiak said. "He pitched well, kept the ball down, it was a good outing for him."
Burton (2-1) gave up just one run and four hits in five innings. He struck out three and left with a 3-1 lead.
"I felt good. I was a little tight in the fourth inning but other than that, I felt good," Burton said. "Finally I'm getting a little bit back on track from a slow start this season."
Improvement
He entered the game -- his ninth start, a team high -- with a 9.26 earned-run average, another team high.
"The last couple outings have been better," Kubiak said. "He's growing up, I think, for one thing."
Maybe there's something to say for not being a teen-ager, after all.
"I've been working real hard with Greg Hibbard, our pitching coach," Burton said. "Everything is starting to come together, right at the right time."
The Muckdogs (17-24) stranded runners in scoring position in the first two innings and only once had two hits in the same frame.
"His whole thing is his composure on the mound," Kubiak said. "He gets fired up. He's a different guy on game day.
"Every other day, he's yacking and screaming and yelling and into everything," Kubiak said. "On game day he can't say much; he's a nervous wreck."
Maybe Burton is starting to mature on the mound and in life.
"You have to learn how to control all of that," said Kubiak of Burton's approach. "He's starting to do it, I think."
Not only was Burton sharp, but three Scrappers relief pitchers were effective.
Adam Hanson, Roger Lincoln and Chris White combined to throw a two-hitter over the final four innings, allowing just one run and no walks.
They retired 12 of the 14 hitters they faced including the final eight in a row.