Astros rookie pitcher Lance McCullers recorded the first complete game of his career on Wednesday, giving up one earned run on four hits in nine innings while striking out 11 and walking none in his team's 3-1 win over the Orioles.
"Just pounded the zone early," McCullers said, per MLB.com. "They started getting pretty aggressive. [Catcher Jason] Castro and I talked and tried to use that to our advantage. Whatever pitch I throw, try throwing it for a strike. Let them kind of, you know, force the pace of the game."
McCullers (3-0) showcased his considerable upside in the win, throwing 73 of his 107 pitches for strikes. He retired 15 straight batters at one point before surrendering a single with two outs in the ninth inning, but he buckled down after a meeting with manager A.J. Hinch on the mound and struck out the final batter of the game.
"When he gets ahead, he's very, very difficult to pick how he's going to attack you to finish you, but he finished hitters very well," Hinch said. "Obviously, 11 [strikeouts] is going to indicate that a little bit. He was very, very good tonight."
McCullers owns a 1.88 ERA and 29:6 K:BB ratio in 24 innings. He's scheduled to square off with the White Sox in Chicago on Monday.