Top Pirates prospect Gerrit Cole threw 3.2 no-hit innings for the Mesa Solar Sox in the Arizona Fall League Thursday afternoon. The game is ongoing as I write this late Thursday, but Cole is out.
↵Cole allowed a walk and an unearned run while striking out four. That's a very impressive for Cole, who has been very good in two straight outings after giving up a few runs in his first professional start. The AFL is similar to the Class AA level, and it's very encouraging - if not entirely unexpected, given that Cole was the top overall pick in the 2011 MLB Draft - for Cole to be pitching this well despite lacking any previous professional experience. He now looks like a reasonably good bet to begin 2012 at Class AA Altoona, which means he could be in Pittsburgh in short order.
↵Fellow Pirates prospect Robbie Grossman is currently 0-for-3, but infielder Brock Holt is 1-for-2. Jarek Cunningham is 2-for-3 with a double, although he also committed the error that led to Cole's unearned run.
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