Braxton Ashcraft looks like he’s starting to heat up. The right-hander pitched 5.1 innings for Altoona on Saturday night, allowing one run on five hits, with two walks and eight strikeouts.
Ashcraft had a rough start to the season, putting up a 6.64 ERA through his first five starts. He’s in his first full season back from Tommy John surgery, and spent those outings building up slowly to six innings. Ever since reaching the six inning mark, Ashcraft has shown why he’s one of the top pitching prospects in the system.
In his last four starts, including Saturday night’s stat line, Ashcraft has combined for two earned runs in 20.