Red Sox pitching prospect Matt Barnes had his best start of the season Wednesday for Double-A Portland, striking out a season-high 10 batters in six innings. He allowed one run on three hits and two walks, while improving to 2-1 in five starts.
"I was able to command my fastball really well, especially early, and they're very aggressive," Barnes said, per MLB.com. "I wanted to throw strikes and try to force them to get themselves out early."
Barnes had an up-and-down April, going 1-1 with a 9.00 ERA and .387 opponents' batting average. But the 2011 first-round pick said he was able to bounce back Wednesday because teammate Brandon Workman helped him find a new grip for his curveball.
"Workman taught me how he threw it, so I toyed around with it, threw it in my bullpen, and it was really good," Barnes said. "I could throw it for strikes and as an out pitch, and that was a big difference, being able to command all three pitches in the zone."