News
Oseguera fans 15 in three-hittter
Lefty doesn't issue any walks in 4-0 shutout
By Brittany Ghiroli / Special to MLB.com
08/28/09 2:27 AM ET
The San Jose Giants were celebrating as Thursday night's game got underway, since the franchise reached 200,000 fans this season for the first time in its history.Then Paul Oseguera's performance made sure the loudest cheers at San Jose's Municipal Stadium were saved for last.
The California native struck out a career-high 15 batters and in a complete-game 4-0 shutout of the Lancaster JetHawks.
Oseguera gave up just three hits and didn't walk a batter, rebounding from Saturday's dismal outing which saw the young lefty exit after allowing eight earned runs over 4 2/3 innings to Stockton. On Thursday, Oseguera looked like an entirely different pitcher.
"Each outing I try to take the positive and the negative with it," Oseguera said. "I feel like I can always take stuff from each start that I still need to work on."
The former UCLA standout must be a quick study, turning in arguably the best start of his young career just six days after one of his worst. The complete game is Oseguera's first since July 5, 2007, when he pitched eight innings in a 1-0 loss to Modesto.
Oseguera said the game plan for Thursday night was simple -- get strike one.
"It was either get ahead with the fastball or changeup and curve," he said. "Pretty much strike one. Also the fact is I haven't faced them, and since they haven't seen me, I have a little bit of an advantage."
The Giants' 16th-round pick in the 2006 Draft, Oseguera was plagued by a recurring blister on his left middle finger last season and appeared in just 19 games -- eight starts -- for Double-A Connecticut. With his finger woes long behind him, Oseguera is eager to help the Defenders play deep into September.
"The goal is to finish the season strong," he said. "And take that into the playoffs."
Brittany Ghiroli is a contributor to MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
