http://tinyurl.com/njzlcd Matusz strikes out 10 in Double-A debut Former fourth overall pick tosses six three-hit innings By John Torenli / Special to MLB.com / 06/17/09 11:59 PM ET Brian Matusz may have signed late after being selected fourth overall by Baltimore in the 2008 First-Year Player Draft. But the 22-year-old Orioles' pitching prospect is progressing through the Minor Leagues right on schedule. Matusz allowed an unearned run on three hits with a walk and 10 strikeouts over six strong innings in his Double-A debut Wednesday as the Bowie Baysox beat the Reading Phillies, 4-1, at Prince George's Stadium. "I was pretty nervous but excited to have the opportunity," Matusz said. "Once I get on the mound, that goes away. [The promotion] came so fast. It came before I even realized it." The highly touted left-hander, who went 12-2 with a 1.71 ERA and 141 strikeouts in his final year at the University of San Diego, didn't ink a deal with Baltimore until the Aug. 15 signing deadline last year. After a four-month layoff from game action, Matusz (1-0) went 2-4 with a 4.73 ERA in seven appearances, including six starts, in the Arizona Fall League. He began this season at Class A Advanced Frederick, going 4-2 with a 2.16 ERA in 11 starts before the promotion to Bowie. "I don't think [signing late] was a setback at all because I got to play in the Fall League," said Matusz. "I got those innings in that I would have if I signed early. "It gave me the experience of playing against top-notch competition. Having that experience was huge for me. I even felt prepared going into Major League camp." Matusz, who didn't allow an earned run over his final three starts with the Keys, stretched that streak to 26 innings with his performance Wednesday. The 6-foot-5, 200-pound Colorado native worked a perfect opening frame before running into trouble in the second. After Kevin Mahar drew a leadoff walk, Neil Sellers singled and both runners advanced on a passed ball. Matusz surrendered an RBI single to Jeremy Slayden but escaped further damage by setting down the next three batters and retiring 13 in a row before a one-out double by Gus Milner in the sixth. "I started to overthrow a little bit and was getting behind in counts," Matusz said of the second-inning jam. "But I was able to relax and work on my mechanics after that and stayed consistent the rest of the night." Matusz got Michael Taylor on a pop-up to shortstop and struck out Mahar to cap his effort before a crowd of 1,814. "It's about consistently throwing all four of my pitches for strikes," he said. "They've emphasized working my fastball in and out early in the game and using my off-speed pitches later on." Chad Thall followed with a perfect seventh and Ryohei Tanaka worked around two hits and struck out four over the final two frames en route to his second save, preserving Matusz's first career Double-A win. "All I can control is how I go out and perform on an everyday basis," he said. "I'm trying to take advantage of every opportunity that has been given to me." --

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