Road to the Show: Brayden Wiley, LHP

[12]

Re: Road to the Show: Brayden Wiley, LHP

Tom Watts still felt sick to his stomach when he thought of the trade that the Braves made in July.

He hadn't talked to Brayden in a couple of months, but he was absolutely delighted to see how well the kid was pitching for Montgomery. It was all coming together for him and Watts had received multiple calls from writers around the area who wanted some insight on the kid. Brayden was quiet and reserved to a point, but perhaps the kid just wanted to focus on the playoffs.

Watts offered very little to the writers; only telling them that he had spent most of last summer with him after the Braves had drafted him. He had told them that he was a great kid and he had an electrifying arm. If the kid didn't want the publicity though, Watts wouldn't fault him for that.

Watts was flying to Pearl to watch the Braves open their playoff series against the Biscuits. When he saw the probable starters for game one, Watts simply smiled.

Wiley is going to eat the Braves alive, thought Watts.

Despite his loyalty to the Braves, Watts would be rooting for the lefty wearing #13 for the Montgomery Biscuits tomorrow, and he did not feel bad about it.

[12]

Re: Road to the Show: Brayden Wiley, LHP

Biscuits prevail 4-0 over Braves in Game One
Wiley destroys Braves in complete game shutout

Pearl, Mississippi

Frank Wren must not be a very happy camper right now.

The Montgomery Biscuits defeated the Mississippi Braves last night in Game One of the Southern League playoffs, 4-0.

The Biscuits were in control all game, led by their ace starting pitcher Brayden Wiley, who faced his old team in a much anticipated match-up.

Wiley couldn't be touch as he pitched a complete game shutout. Nine innings, three hits, two walks and 13 strikeouts. The 13 K's tied a season high.

He was never in trouble and the Braves never made it past second base against him.

"He's the best in the league and that's that," said Braves' Manager Rocket Wheeler. "There was nothing my guys could do against him. When he has his repertoire working, it's game over."

Braves' shortstop Mycal Jones concurred.

"It was like he was throwing golf balls at us," said Jones, who finished 0-3 with two strikeouts. "It was embarrassing."

Wiley admittedly took great joy in beating his old team.

"Honestly, it feels great to beat them," said Wiley. "It's the playoffs, so of course pitching a game like that is going to feel great, but this one was as sweet as it gets."

Wiley was extremely efficient and threw 99 pitches in the game, 68 for strikes.

Drew Anderson had three hits for the Biscuits and Luke Bailey added a three-run home run.

The two teams will continue the series tomorrow in Pearl.

[12]

Re: Road to the Show: Brayden Wiley, LHP

Biscuits sweep Braves, will play Smokies in Southern League Championship Series
Biscuits outscore Braves 18-8 in three games

The Montgomery Biscuits will take on the Tennessee Smokies in the Southern League Championship Series beginning on Wednesday, July 15 in Kodak, Tennessee.

Brayden Wiley will get the Game One start against the Smokies and will be opposed by Smokies' hurler Chris Carpenter.

"I'm excited to help my team win a championship," said Wiley. "That quest begins on Wednesday. I'm ready."

[12]

Re: Road to the Show: Brayden Wiley, LHP

Biscuits beat Smokies, 3-0
Wiley throws second straight complete game shutout

Kodak, Tennessee

Does dominance ever get old? Boring?

Brayden Wiley, the Montgomery Biscuits' ace, doesn't think so.

Wiley threw his second consecutive complete game shutout as the Biscuits beat the Smokies 3-0 in the first game of the Southern League Championship Series.

"I don't know what to say," said Wiley after the game. "Lately, I've just been pitching lights out. It's hard to find the words to say without sounding arrogant, but I'll say it anyway. I can't be touched right now, everything is coming together for me."

Wiley again allowed three hits and struck out 13, which matched his line in the Biscuits' series opening game against the Mississippi Braves. He did not walk a batter.

"I think what you're seeing here is a kid who is simply too good for this league," said Biscuits' Manager Billy Gardner. "What other explanation is there? This kid is the best pitcher I've ever coached down here, and if you know anything about this organization, that's saying a lot."

Wiley walks off the mound after striking out the side in the sixth inning.

Wiley ran into his only jam in the top of the eighth inning when the Smokies had runners at first and third with only one out. Wiley bared down and struck out the next two hitters, ending the Smokies' threat and ultimately ending any chance that they'd make a comeback.

Tim Beckham finished the night 2-3 with two doubles and two RBIs. Chris Richard provided the other run via a solo home run in the sixth inning.

"We're tough to beat right now," said Beckham. "We got the best pitcher in the league and we're scoring enough runs to support our guys."

The Biscuits will continue their quest for the championship tomorrow in Kodak. Matt Moore will get the start for Montgomery while Trey McNutt will take the hill for Tennessee. Game time is set for 4:30.

Catcher Shawn Riggans celebrates with Wiley after the final out.



Pure Dominance.

[12]

Re: Road to the Show: Brayden Wiley, LHP

Biscuits are the Southern League Champs!
Wiley garners series' MVP

Montgomery, Alabama

The Montgomery Biscuits are the Southern League Champions after beating the Tennessee Smokies 6-5 last night.

The Biscuits won the series 3-1.

Brayden Wiley was named the MVP of the series after the left handed pitcher threw a complete game shutout against the Smokies in Game One. The Smokies' bats never recovered.

"I think you can point to that game and say it's the one that gave us the momentum to win the title," said Biscuits' Manager Billy Gardner.

Wiley was asked after the game how it felt to be a champion.

"It feels awesome," said Wiley, who was 2-0 in the playoffs. "This whole season was a dream come true for me."

Tim Beckham finished the series with 10 hits in 19 at-bats and put himself back on the map as a prospect.

The Biscuits outscored the Smokies 18-14 in the series.

What's next for the Biscuits?

"A new group of players next year, and the goal will remain the same," said Gardner. "The group we had this year was fantastic. Getting Wiley mid-season was so huge for us. I don't think you can put into words how important he was for us down the stretch. Without him, we don't achieve this."

[12]

Re: Road to the Show: Brayden Wiley, LHP

Playoff Stats - Pitching
NAME	W	L	SV	QS	HLD	IP	H	ER	HR	BB	SO	WHIP	ERA
Brayden Wiley	2	0	0	2	0	18.0	6	0	0	2	26	0.44	0.00

[12]

Re: Road to the Show: Brayden Wiley, LHP

What next?

That was the question that was running through Brayden Wiley's mind the day after his team, the Montgomery Biscuits, had won the Southern League Championship.

He wouldn't deny that he was lights out all season long, but he couldn't allow his head to get big. This was Double-A, and while there were a lot of talented players, his road was just going to get harder. He had already been told by Andrew Friedman that he would begin next season in Triple-A.

The coolest part about that? His favorite baseball movie of all-time was Bull Durham, a film that starred Kevin Costner and was centered around the Durham Bulls' baseball team.

He would spend his off season wisely. He would fly back to Washington and enjoy a couple of weeks of vacation. From there, he wasn't sure what his plans would be. Billy Gardner, his manager in Montgomery, told him that there was a possibility that the Rays' would make him pitch in the Arizona Fall League.

Gardner didn't like the idea simply because he felt that Wiley's arm needed some rest. The kid had pitched in 195 innings during this season, counting the playoffs. He simply felt that Wiley should get the fall and winter off. He had no doubt that the kid would train hard in the off season.

Wiley's next order of business was to hire an agent. He had heard that the Rays were thinking about offering him a multiple year contract, much like they had done with Evan Longoria a few years ago. He was open to an offer because not only would it provide more financial stability, but he would have a sense of security with his new organization. He didn't want to go into any contract talks blind though, so he saw the need to hire an agent as a pressing need, and it sure wasn't going to be Scott Boras.

For now, Wiley was focused on getting his apartment packed up in Montgomery and heading back home to Washington. The Rays had offered to move all of his stuff (including his truck) to his home state, but Wiley insisted that he wanted to drive home. It would be another long drive, but Wiley loved it. It gave him time to think and he saw parts of the country that he had never seen. Maybe he would invite his parents to meet him at Yellowstone on the way home.

His first full year of professional baseball was an absolute success. He had far exceeded his expectations and had put himself on the fast track to the Big Show. He was looking forward to the reception that he'd get upon returning home, and seeing family and friends that he hadn't seen in almost a year.

Spring Training would be right around the corner.

Would he get an invite by the Rays?

Only time would tell.

[HARLEE23]

Re: Road to the Show: Brayden Wiley, LHP

now all you have to do is rap like ron artest. You are a champion!

[12]

Re: Road to the Show: Brayden Wiley, LHP

Prospect Watch: Brayden Wiley, LHP, Tampa Bay
Hot Stove Special

By Eric Williamson

Brayden Wiley was not a well known pitcher when he was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the second round of the 2009 MLB Draft.

In fact, Wiley was rarely mentioned as one of the best amateur pitching prospects on the West Coast.

Wiley, from Pasco, Washington, played four years of varsity baseball at Chiawana High School. He finished his high school career with a 26-2 record and a 1.75 ERA. He had full-ride scholarship offers from most of the schools in the Pac 10.

Wiley wasted little time signing with the Braves, and received a $1.2 million signing bonus. This caused some skepticism from most Braves' fans, who had never even heard of the kid. A second rounder getting that kind of money didn't happen very often.

The Braves chose to not pitch Wiley at all during the summer he was drafted. He sustained a minor shoulder injury in the last game of his high school career and was told not to pitch for a couple of weeks. The Braves got wind of this and had Wiley assigned to 'home,' and sent one of their scouts, Tom Watts, to spend the summer training Wiley.

It was a move that paid off.

Wiley was immediately sent to Double-A Mississippi at the start of the 2010 season. He started the season in the bullpen, pitching in 18 games before being moved to the starting rotation. He quickly became Mississippi's best starting pitcher and finished the first half with a 6-3 record. His 1.99 ERA was tops in the Southern League in the first half.

In a move that rocked the minor league baseball world, the Braves decided to trade Wiley and closer Craig Kimbrel to the Rays in exchange for reliever Dan Wheeler.

It was a move that is considered to be one of Frank Wren's worst. Wheeler ended up getting hurt and was unable to help Atlanta's bullpen problems.

"Really, it was one of those trades where you are completely blindsided by it," said Mississippi Manager Rocket Wheeler, who was fired by the organization following last season. "I've seen some dumb trades in my day but this one took the cake. When I was told about it, I told Frank Wren that in five years, he'd realize what a horrible mistake he made. Brayden was crushed, even though he didn't tell me that. You could just see it all over his face."

Wiley reported to Tampa Bay's Double-A affiliate, the Montgomery Biscuits. He quickly made headlines with the Biscuits and went 5-1 for the rest of the season. He led the Southern League in ERA (2.14), strikeouts (185), shutouts (3), complete games (4), innings pitched (180.2) and WHIP (1.04).

He started for Team USA in the Futures Game and also pitched in the Southern League All-Star Game.

In the playoffs, Wiley threw complete game shutouts in both of his starts. He only allowed six hits, while striking out 26 and walking two. The Biscuits beat the Tennessee Smokies 3-1 in the best of five series.

"It was such a fun year for me," said Wiley. "It really was. I proved to myself that I belong here. My parents wanted me to go to college, but I wanted to get my path to the Major Leagues started. I think I made the right choice.

When asked if the trade still bothers him, Wiley smiles.

"Not at all," answered Wiley. "It bothered me up until the playoffs of last year. But I made the decision to not let it affect me anymore. I couldn't be any happier right now."

Scouting Report:

Wiley throws a nasty 2-seam fastball that sits anywhere from 91 to 94 miles per hour. One of the big concerns early on was Wiley's velocity, as he was only throwing 89-90 during his first month with Mississippi. He quickly added three to five ticks to his fastball. He has good control of the pitch, as evidenced by his 49 walks in 180.2 innings pitched last year.

Pitch Grade: B+
Potential: A+

Wiley also throws a sweeping curve ball. At times, it was his best pitch last season. It has great movement for his age and will only get better with time. It sits anywhere from 81-85 miles per hour and has a great late-breaking action.

Pitch Grade: B
Potential: A

His third pitch is a slider. He throws this pitch sparingly, as it needs a lot of work. It reaches 86-88 miles per hour. It has decent movement but Wiley tends to have problems controlling it at times, although when it's on, he's that much tougher to hit.

Pitch Grade: C
Potential: B

Wiley's fourth and final pitch is a change up. He only began throwing this pitch last year and he has to find ways to not tip it. His arm motion needs work, but the pitch has promise. It typically sits anywhere from 78-83 miles per hour, so consistency will be key.

Pitch Grade: D
Potential: B

When I first saw Wiley pitch, he reminded me of a young Erik Bedard. After watching him pitch for much of the second half last season, I am changing that. His ceiling is a Cliff Lee type pitcher, who will probably strike out more batters. I have never heaped such high praise on a 19-year-old kid, but Wiley is special and he's a genuine good kid who wants to get better. Look for him on our upcoming Top 100 Prospects list.

He will probably begin the season in Durham, the Rays' Triple-A affiliate. He has nothing else to prove in Double-A, as he was 11-4 last season and led the league in most of the major pitching categories.

As far as pitching prospects go, Wiley is not that far behind Washington Nationals' phenom Stephen Strasburg, except he's younger, and he's a lefty.

Tampa Bay has struck gold with this kid.

We've seen young pitchers make the Big Leagues at young ages before. Felix Hernandez and Rick Porcello are the most recent, so don't be surprised if Wiley ends up in Tampa Bay this year. He will turn 20 in late May, and could be up with the Rays by then, depending on how he performs in Triple-A.

Personally, I think Tampa Bay would be foolish to rush him.

MLB ETA: 2012

Profile:

Height: 6'2"
Weight: 210
Bats: Left
Throws: Left

2010 Stats:

11-4, 2.14 ERA, 180.2 IP, 185 K, 49 BB, 1.04 WHIP, .204 BAA

Playoffs:

2-0, 0.00 ERA, 18 IP, 26 K, 2 BB, 0.44 WHIP, .104 BAA

[12]

Re: Road to the Show: Brayden Wiley, LHP

The off season was taking ridiculously long for Brayden Wiley.

He had enjoyed his time at home, but it was Christmas and he could not wait until Spring Training arrived. He wanted to be back on the mound with every fiber of his being. Sometimes, he felt uncomfortable anywhere else.

He had spent the fall hanging out with family and friends. He went to a few concerts and went to a couple of Seattle Seahawks' game at Qwest Field. He went to a few country music concerts, seeing Brad Paisley, Eric Church and a few other artists. Basically, he did whatever he could to make the time pass quicker. He missed the diamond.

He had worked out hard all throughout the fall and winter. He had gained about five pounds of lean muscle, and felt better than ever. He still pitched and trained at his old high school, with his best friend Peyton catching for him.

He had went on some dates with a couple girls, but there was one he really liked. He had went to movies, tried snowboarding and briefly thought about buying a motorcycle, but thought better of it. He simply had baseball on his mind all day, every day. It's what he loved to do.

He had let Baseball America do a feature on him, and the guy who did it, Eric Williamson, was pretty cool. Williamson said that Wiley would undoubtedly be on their Top 100 Prospects list and he even mentioned the idea of Baseball America doing more features on him in the future, with a possible "Prospect Diary" segment that he would write. Brayden thought that it would be pretty cool to do that.

Williamson's piece on him was extremely positive and he felt that the scout/writer was spot on in his scouting report of him. Williamson had told Brayden multiple times that he felt he was the best left handed pitching prospect in the game.

Brayden had finally hired an agent.

Trey Williams was a recent graduate of the University of Washington's Law School. He was 26 and had a lot of energy. Wiley had actually heard about him through a contact in the Rays' organization. Williams was a very positive person to be around, and Brayden liked the fact that he didn't just talk about money. Putting his client in positions to succeed was equally as important to him.

Williams and the Rays begin talking about a new contract three days after Brayden hired him. It didn't happen often, but sometimes teams would try and lock up their young players early on. The Rays did it with Evan Longoria in 2008, when the Rays' rookie only played in six games. He got a six-year, $17.5 million deal. At the time, many of the talking heads in baseball thought the Rays were crazy.

It worked out for them.

The Rays wanted Brayden to agree to a five-year, $14.5 million deal. He didn't really want to commit to five years, but he thought long and hard over it. The reasons he didn't want to commit to five years would probably surprise a lot of people, but Brayden didn't care - he didn't want the Rays to be on the hook for all of that guaranteed money in the event that Wiley never lived up to the hype. He told Trey this.

His agent countered with a three-year, $10.5 million offer. The Rays said that for three years, the highest they would go was $9.5 million. That was unacceptable to Trey, but Wiley told him to get a flight to Tampa Bay so he could sign the deal. That was more than enough money and Wiley refused to get petty over a million dollars. Trey did what he was told.

It was a far cry from the $15 million deal that Stephen Strasburg signed this past summer, but then again, Wiley wasn't the first overall pick and he never had the hype that Strasburg had. He was just glad that he had some stability in his baseball life. That was truly enough for him.

During the trip, Brayden was told by Andrew Friedman that he wouldn't be getting an invite to Spring Training this year, but he would start the season in Triple-A.

"The Durham Bulls," said Brayden. "Same team as Crash Davis."

Friedman smiled. He really liked this kid.

Two months until the season starts, thought Brayden. He decided that he would try his best to put baseball to the side for a bit and focus on spending time with his family and friends. It was Christmas, after all. He had bought his dad a brand new truck and a big screen television. His mom only asked for one thing.

"Get your college degree," begged his mom.

Brayden had started an education savings account for his sister. He put $50,000 in it, so she'd never have to really worry about paying for college.

[12]

Re: Road to the Show: Brayden Wiley, LHP

"Grab a bat."

March 24, 2011

What's up, Baseball America? Mr. Futures Game starter, Mr. Top Prospect?"

This was the question that Justin Ruggiano, a left fielder with the Rays' organization had asked Brayden Wiley. He was only half joking.

The Rays' Minor Leaguers were stretching during a practice and Ruggiano wanted to see how the kid would respond to a little trash talk.

"You know, this isn't Double-A," said Ruggiano. "My money's on you getting lit up this year in Durham."

Wiley nodded.

"You think so huh," replied Wiley. "Well, Mr. 29-year-old who is still stuck in the minors, I bet you a $100 bill that I'd strike you out."

Ruggiano smiled.

"I'd take you deep."

"Like hell you would," responded Wiley, laughing. "Grab a bat and let's show everyone here that I belong."

With that, Ruggiano hopped up from his stretching session and told the bat boy to grab him a bat.

Wiley was walking toward the mound. He didn't even have a mitt on.

"What do you want to see?" asked Wiley. "Do you want the heater, the curve, the slider or the change? You can't hit any of them anyway, so it's your choice."

"Throw your best stuff," replied Ruggiano.

By this time, the whole Minor League camp had gathered around to watch the battle.

Wiley had recently been named as one of Baseball America's Top 100 Prospects. He was #75 on their list, and the #3 rated prospect in Tampa Bay's organization, behind Desmond Jennings and Jeremy Hellickson.

Wiley told catcher Alex Avila that he didn't need any warm up pitches.

Ruggiano pointed his bat at Wiley.

"If you bean me, I'll charge the damn mound," said Ruggiano.

"I'd rather strike you out," replied Wiley, smirking.

The first pitch was a fastball that Ruggiano let go by.

"Strike" yelled the crowd. "Right down the tube!"

This kid throws hard, thought Ruggiano.

The second pitch was a change up that Ruggiano turned on. If it stayed fair it was gone, but fortunately for Wiley, it hooked left at the last second. Ruggiano smiled.

"Throw that piece of crap change again," said Ruggiano. "Remember, I'm the guy that can't make the Bigs, but you're the guy who just had a bomb hit off you."

"Foul balls aren't bombs," said Wiley. "Not only are you a career Minor League guy, but you're also not very smart."

The next pitch was a sweeping curve that Ruggiano swung wildly at and missed.

Strike three.

"Pretty quiet there, Ruggs," yelled Wiley.

Justin Ruggiano liked Brayden Wiley. The kid was typically pretty quiet, but he had a good sense of humor and he was talented. He had given it his best shot but the truth was, he didn't stand a chance against the kid and that was saying a lot.

"I'll buy you a beer tonight you little punk," said Ruggiano.

"I'm 19," replied Wiley. "I'd rather have the $100 bill. Or maybe you should just keep it."

Wiley had pitched very well during the spring and had impressed his coaches.

Xavier Hernandez, the Bulls' pitching coach, had great things to say about Wiley in an interview with MLB.com.

"He's as good of a prospect as I've seen in my nine years here," said Hernandez. "His command is pretty good right now, but he does tend to get behind in counts. His pitching repertoire is outstanding, though. He has a lively fastball and a curve and slider that are considered plus pitches at this point."

"I coached David Price and the similarities are there," continued Hernandez. "But Wiley might end up being better. He's 19, and you don't see too many kids that age playing in Triple-A."

The Bulls were set to open their season in two weeks at home against the Gwinnett Braves. Wiley had already been told that he'd be the team's #1 starter.

It was a long off season for him, but he had managed to get through it. He came into camp at a trim 215 pounds. His frame had improved so much since last season.

It's going to be a great year, thought Wiley.

[12]

Re: Road to the Show: Brayden Wiley, LHP

Durham's roster set, open season April 7

The Durham Bulls have broke camp and will begin the series in Durham against the Gwinnett Braves on April 7.

The roster was finalized last night.

The Bulls will carry 11 pitchers. Brayden Wiley, the #3 ranked prospect in the Rays' system according to Baseball America, will headline the group.

Pitchers (12)

Brayden Wiley, 19
Alex Colome, 22
Jeff Bennett, 30
Jeremy Hellickson, 24
Andy Sonnanstine, 27
Alex Cobb, 23
Trey Hearne, 27
Joe Bateman, 31
Carlos Hernandez, 31
Jake McGee, 24
Reed Samwell, 19
Dale Thayer, 30


Catchers (2)

Alex Avila, 24
Carlos Corporan, 27

Infielders (6)

Edward Salcedo, 19
Edmundo Heredia, 22
Willy Aybar, 27
Garland Matthiesen, 20
Shawn O'Malley, 23
Joe Dillon, 35

Outfielders (5)

Fernando Perez, 27
Reid Fronk, 24
Anthony Scelfo, 24
Justin Ruggiano, 29
Filiberto Huerta, 33

It was rumored that shortstop Tim Beckham would start the season in Durham, but the Rays elected to keep him in Montgomery to continue his development. Beckham hit .282 with nine home runs and 71 RBI last year.

[12]

Re: Road to the Show: Brayden Wiley, LHP

Durham loses 3-0 to Gwinnett on Opening Day
Wiley sharp, but Bulls' offense gets stifled

April 7, 2011 -- Durham, North Carolina

The Durham Bulls lost today on Opening Day, 3-0, to the Gwinnett Braves.

Pitching was not the problem for the Bulls, as the offense failed to get anything going against Braves' starter Kenshin Kawakami.

"Our offense, it was bad today," said Fernando Perez, who finished the night 0-3 with two strikeouts."

Brayden got the start for the Bulls and pitched a great game. The lefty worked seven innings and only allowed three hits and one run. He walked four and struck out seven.

"Walking four guys is not going to get it done," said Wiley after the game. "I guess from the stat line, it looks like I didn't pitch bad, but I did. I was all over the place."

Wiley took the loss.

"He pitched really well, despite what he says," said Bulls' Manager Charlie Montoyo. "He might have walked four batters, but he made pitches when he needed to. Our offense just couldn't get anything going."

Justin Ruggiano finished the night 2-3 with a stolen base.

Alex Avila was the only other Bull to get a hit.

"Not a real good treat for the home fans tonight," said Ruggiano. "We'll bounce back tomorrow."

[12]

Re: Road to the Show: Brayden Wiley, LHP

Bulls win fifth in a row, rally to beat Tides, 5-3
Ruggiano, Heredia key in come from behind win

April 12, 2011 -- Durham, North Carolina

Despite a lackluster pitching performance from starter Brayden Wiley, the Durham Bulls came from behind late to beat the Norfolk Tides 5-3 last night at Athletic Park.


Justin Ruggiano had an RBI double to kick start the comeback in the sixth inning. Edmundo Heredia hit a two-run home run in the seventh to give Durham the lead for good.

It was the Bulls fifth win in a row.

Brayden Wiley struggled for much of his five innings of work. He threw 88 pitches. He allowed seven hits on three runs. He walked four and struck out four.

"My team bailed me out today," said Wiley after the no-decision. "Again, my stuff was underwhelming. I'll get it figured out."

Carlos Hernandez pitched two innings of no-hit ball, striking out two and walking one.

Dale Thayer picked up his fourth save in his last five games.

Joe Dillon finished 2-5 on the night. Alex Avila also finished 2-5 and Ruggiano finished his night at 2-3. It was Heredia's home run, however, that sealed the deal for the Bulls.

"I got a good pitch and knocked it out," said Heredia.

Wiley pitches to a Norfolk batter in the fifth inning.

[12]

Re: Road to the Show: Brayden Wiley, LHP

Perez, Bulls beat Braves, 4-3
Wiley's control issues remain

April 17, 2011 -- Lawrenceville, Georgia

The Durham Bulls continued their tear last night by beating the Gwinnett Braves 4-3 last night on the road. The Bulls are now 9-2 on the season.

Fernando Perez continued his hot hitting and raised his averaged to .351 after finishing 2-4 with a home run and three RBIs. The speedster also stole two bases and had two key defensive plays in center field.

"He's the catalyst to our offense," said Bulls' Skipper Charlie Montoyo. "He set the stage tonight."

Brayden Wiley, who made his third of the start of the season, pitched well enough to keep his team in the game but again struggled mightily with control issues. The lefty six innings and gave up six hits and two runs, but he walked six and struck out four.

"I sucked," said Wiley after the game. "Again. There's not much else to say. I need to figure out how to not walk so many guys. Luckily for us, the other eight guys bail me out with great defensive plays."

Wiley now had 14 walks in 18 innings pitched. He has also struck out 15 and opponents are only hitting .242 off of him.

"It's really just a matter of time before the walks catch up to me," said Wiley. "It seems like every time I walk someone, the defense bails me out with a key double play. I've got to get better, that's for sure."

Wiley will get his next scheduled start on Friday against Norfolk.

For the season, Wiley is 0-1 with a 3.00 ERA in three starts. He has two quality starts and has pitched 18 innings, allowing 16 hits, six runs, 14 walks and 15 strikeouts.

"He'll figure it out," said Bulls' Pitching Coach Xavier Hernandez. "A lot of walks, but some of that is rust. He didn't pitch in the Arizona Fall League so I think it might take him a while to find his bearings here in Triple-A."