Vanderbilt alums stifle opponents

NASHVILLE – In a 24-hour timespan, three former Vanderbilt pitchers put together statement performances, replicating their collegiate dominance at the Major League level.
 
Walker Buehler (Los Angeles Dodgers), Mike Minor (Texas Rangers) and David Price (Boston Red Sox) combined to toss 21 scoreless innings while striking out 20 batters. Each outing continued to cement successful seasons for the trio.
 
Wednesday, Aug. 22 – Oakland Coliseum – Oakland, Calif.
Minor has been one of the bright spots for the Rangers pitching staff this season and on Wednesday afternoon, the southpaw offered up one of his finest performances of the season.
 
The Chapel Hill, Tenn., native limited Oakland to one hit and one walk and faced the minimum over six innings to secure his 10thvictory. Wednesday’s performance was Minor’s fourth-straight win, sending him to 6-2 with a 3.23 ERA in his last 12 starts.
 
Minor was a starter for the Atlanta Braves from 2011-14 before missing two years with a shoulder injury. The former Kansas City Royals reliever has provided Texas with consistency and is making his case to start on Opening Day 2019.
 
Wednesday, Aug. 22 – Dodger Stadium – Los Angeles, Calif.
Buehler was brilliant in a no-decision on Wednesday night, limiting the St. Louis Cardinals to three hits and two walks while striking out a career-high nine over seven scoreless innings.
 
With a total of four earned runs allowed in his last five starts (32.1 innings), the Lexington, Ky., native has brought his ERA back below 3.00, and he has now surpassed 100 strikeouts.
 
According to STATS LLC, Buehler is the first Dodgers right-handed pitcher with 35-plus strikeouts and fewer than five runs in a five-start span since Hideo Nomo did so in 1995.
 
Thursday, Aug. 23 – Fenway Park – Boston, Mass.
Price (14-6) continued his dominant season, leading the Red Sox to a 7-0 victory against the Cleveland Indians on Thursday. The left-hander earned his fifth-straight victory, holding the AL Central-leading Tribe to three hits while striking out seven in eight innings.
 
In six starts since the All-Star break, Price is 4-0 with a 1.09 ERA, 40 strikeouts and seven walks. He has won each of his last seven decisions at home while the Red Sox have won 16 of his last 18 starts.
 
“That’s a playoff-caliber team, that’s one of the best teams in the big leagues and he was outstanding,” Sox manager Alex Cora told reporters after the game. “The cutter, the fastball up, the changeup. Being able to pitch to that lineup is not easy. They have some good hitters. He was outstanding. Probably his best start of the season.”