Storm Fall Despite Stellar Debut for Kash Mayfield

LAKE ELSINORE — Kash Mayfield shined in his professional debut, working three hitless innings, but the Storm bullpen continued to struggle in the early going as Lake Elsinore fell 8-4 in their home opener.

Mayfield, 20, struck out the side in his first official inning since the Padres made him the 25th overall pick in last summer’s draft. The lefty got four whiffs as he worked over the top of the Modesto Nuts’ lineup with a fastball that sat 90-91 but touched 94, a changeup with good depth that landed around 80 mph, and a few sliders that impressed.

“Overall, I felt like I had a really good night. I thought all my pitches played well,” said Mayfield after the game. “Lamar, before the game, just told me ‘do what you do.'”

What Mayfield did was to work three scoreless innings on 45 pitches, striking out six. He gave up one walk with two outs in the third before coming back to get a weak grounder to first to end his night.

“The first professional outing, it was very nerve wracking,” said Mayfield after the game. “I was a bit shaky, nervous; but during pre-game, I just listened to music and got my mindset right.

“My one goal was to not allow any walks, but that happens. I think this start gives me confidence.”

The lefty finished his night with nine whiffs on 18 swings and none of the three balls put in play against him topped 90 mph.

“It was insane,” said his catcher Lamar King Jr. “He is one of the best pitchers I’ve ever caught. He was pounding the zone, hitting his spots. If he went the whole game, I don’t think anyone was going to hit him.”

While Mayfield dominated, the Storm offense scored only one unearned run while he was in the game. Once Mayfield departed, the Storm bullpen struggled once again. Righty Jose Moreno gave up four runs in the fourth and another in his second inning of work. Lefty Yovannki Pascual, who flashes a fastball up to 96 with run and the makings of a quality slider, struck out a pair in his two innings of work, but was charged with a pair of unearned runs as his defense made two errors behind him.

The Storm offense was once again fueled by their two big bats. King had four balls off the bat at more than 100 mph, including a soaring double off the wall to deep left-center and another ball that Nuts left fielder Curtis Washington tracked down crashing into the wall.

“I thought I had two of them tonight,” said King. “I’m seeing the ball really well. Seeing spin and everything, trying to see the ball up so I don’t chase.”

Through four games, the 21-year-old catcher is 7-for-15 with a double and a grand slam. He’s punched out four times, but has three walks.

Designated hitter Sean Barnett, who is still about a month away from getting to start working as a reliever as well, had two loud hits, including a monster 402 foot shot to left to cap the game’s scoring. The 11th-round pick in last year’s draft would have had a second extra-base hit on the night except that, as he was between first and second after ripping a ball into right field, his helmet fell off and clipped his back heel, causing him to fall and be thrown out easily at second.

Shortstop Ryan Jackson, who drew a pair of walks and had a single, was the only other Storm hitter to reach base multiple times on the night. The University of Southern California product has reached base at a .752 clip early in the year.

NOTES: Righty Kleiber Olmedo will make his season debut on Wednesday night before Boston Bateman gets his first professional action Thursday.

 

Clark Fahrenthold contributed to the reporting of this story.