Jul. 5—Up until last Wednesday night, Carson Stevens had never caught for Brant Alazaus.
But no one ever would’ve known it based on their chemistry and performance.
Alazaus and Stevens were in sync all night long in Rochester’s 2-0 win over Waterloo, and Alazaus delivered the best start by a Rochester hurler to date this season.
The Rochester lefty allowed just two hits and struck out 10 in the complete-game shutout. He used his power fastball and a biting curveball to mow through the Waterloo lineup.
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“Carson and I just got into a great pitch sequence,” Alazaus said. “We’re sitting before the game talking about how he catches and how I pitch and we’re trying to mesh it all together. You play catch in the outfield and we can start to figure out how each other throws and how we interact.”
Brant was last night!
Check out all 1️⃣0️⃣ of his strikeouts in the complete game shutout, including @zaus21 striking out the side in the ninth. ⬇️#FunForTheWholeFlock pic.twitter.com/7zNieK5cZM
— Rochester Honkers (@RochHonkers) July 1, 2021
Alazaus and Brendan Knoll have anchored the Honkers’ group of starters. Knoll has delivered four terrific outings in a row, and now Alazaus is stepping up his game to an elite level.
Wednesday’s complete-game shutout wasn’t a mirage. It was a product that many around the Honkers saw coming. It was only a matter of time after two terrific starts in a row preceding Wednesday’s outing.
On June 18, Alazaus fired seven innings of one-run ball but sustained the loss in the 3-0 setback to St. Cloud. Then, on June 24, he finished with six innings of three-run ball in the Honkers’ 6-5 win over Willmar. Alazaus gave up 8 runs in his first two starts for Rochester, but he isn’t the same pitcher anymore.
He’s settled into his groove and Wednesday’s performance was the cream of the crop.
“That was awesome,” the 6-foot-3, 170-pound Alazaus said. “It was a great atmosphere and the guys were just loving it.”
It’s no surprise that the Honkers went on an 8-3 stretch after Knoll and Alazaus have really started to flex their muscles.
Prior to Sunday’s game, Alazaus was 3-1 with a 3.38 earned-run average and 33 strikeouts in 34 2/3 innings pitched for the Honkers this summer. He leads the team in victories, innings pitched and strikeouts.
“Our entire pitching staff takes pride in what we do,” Alazaus said. “Everyone is working hard. What Brendan is doing is incredible. We’re just trying to go out there and get something rolling. We’re starting to feel a little better. Everyone has a little giddy-up in their step.”
Playing in the Northwoods League was a big goal for Alazaus. After a strong junior year at Walsh University in North Canton, Ohio, Alazaus finished with a 4.21 ERA and he struck out 59 batters in 57 2/3 innings.
“It’s been incredible and so much fun playing here,” Alazaus said. “It’s always something that I wanted to do. it’s been a big goal and it’s lived up to it. Rochester has been awesome and a great place to live for the summer.”
Alazaus looks right at home in Rochester and he’s pitching like he wants to stay atop the Honkers’ rotation for a long time.
It’s also a strong bet to think that Stevens will be back behind the dish for Alazaus’ next start.