Dylan Unsworth hopes he's found a turning point in a baseball career that started in a South African airport.
Unsworth (2-4, 5.05 ERA) pitched 7⅓ innings, allowing 6 hits and 1 earned run while striking out 6 with 1 walk in the Arkansas Travelers' 7-1 victory over the Midland RockHounds on Tuesday night in front of 2,581 at Dickey-Stephens Park in North Little Rock.
Unsworth had lost his previous three starts and entered the game with an ERA that was more than five times higher than last season (1.16).
"It's always nice to get back to where you need to be," said Unsworth, 24.
The Travs scored all seven runs in the first five innings, including four in the first. Chuck Taylor drove in center fielder Ian Miller with a double for the first run, after Miller stole one of his two bases on the night. Miller leads the Texas League with 20 steals.
Four Travs had doubles, and first baseman Kyle Petty went 2 for 4 with 3 RBI.
Unsworth retired his first three batters in four pitches with a counter-aggressive strategy he picked up last week in a meeting with Manager Daren Brown and pitching coach Ethan Katz.
"The scouting reports [on me]: Swing your bats," Unsworth said. "They know I'm going to be throwing strikes. What am I going to do to change that a little bit? Because they're going to be swinging first pitch, and I have to use their aggressiveness and mix it up a little bit."
The start was his most efficient since re-signing a minor league contract with the Seattle Mariners this offseason.
"That's as good as he's pitched this year," Brown said.
Unsworth grew up in Durban, South Africa, where he learned to throw at his dad's softball games. His dad would throw underhand, Unsworth overhand. By the time he was 16, Unsworth was pitching for the 2009 South African Baseball World Cup team, and a Mariners scout visited his family without him knowing.
After the World Cup, Unsworth returned to the Cape Town International Airport where his family was waiting.
"They said, 'Hey, take a look to your left,' " Unsworth said. "I saw the scout, and I was like, this can't be happening."
Unsworth signed in the airport.
Seven years later, he had risen to Class AA Jackson, where the right-hander went 3-1 with a 1.16 ERA last season. The Mariners placed him in the Arizona Fall League, where MLB teams send their top prospects to play against each other. Unsworth went 4-1 with a 3.00 ERA.
Unsworth re-signed his minor league contract and started in Class AAA Tacoma this season, but after two games and a losing decision, he was optioned to Class AA Arkansas. He lost four of his next five decisions.
"I know I've had success in my baseball career, so there's nothing to put your head down when you have a couple of bad starts," Unsworth said. "Just keep moving forward."
With his victory Tuesday, Unsworth moved forward. The second contract is as special as the first.
"They wanted me back, and to give me a chance to get to the top," Unsworth said. "I'm living my dream. This is all I have, and I love it."
Today’s game
TRAVELERS VS. ROCKHOUNDS
WHEN 7:10 p.m. WHERE Dickey-Stephens Park, North Little Rock RADIO KARN-AM, 920, in central Arkansas WEBSITE travs.com PITCHERS Travs: RHP Tyler Herb (2-2, 3.94 ERA); RockHounds: RHP Joel Seddon (2-1, 3.74 ERA) TICKETS $13 box, $9 reserved ($6 kids), $7 general admission ($5 kids). Gates open one hour before start of game. PROMOTIONS $1 Hot Dog Night
THE WEEK AHEAD
TODAY Midland, 7:10 p.m. THURSDAY Midland, 7:10 p.m. FRIDAY Frisco, 7:05 p.m. SATURDAY Frisco, 7:05 p.m. SUNDAY Frisco, 1:05 p.m. MONDAY off TUESDAY at Midland, 6:30 p.m.
Sports on 05/24/2017