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After a forgettable spring, former Mitchell pitcher Tyler Clippard is making the most of his summer in a strong first month with the New York Yankees' Gulf Coast League minor-league team in Tampa.
Clippard, whose high school season was limited to three games after he was dismissed from the Mustangs team, has brought a live arm and impressive control in his first seven appearances.
The ninth-round draft pick earned his second professional win Monday, allowing two runs on five hits in six innings of the Yankees' 11-4 win against the Tigers. Clippard, who got a $75,000 bonus when he signed in June, walked none and struck out seven in his longest appearance of the summer, increasing his season total to 29 strikeouts - the second-highest on the team.
He has walked only one batter in 24 innings, and his 2.25 ERA is among the best on the team. Monday's outing was his second start, though he's lasted at least three innings in his last six appearances.
Clippard's spring on the mound was cut short after his arrest on charges of driving under the influence. After logging only 171/3 innings for the Mustangs, he doesn't have the fatigue issues many recent high school graduates face during their rookie seasons.
His success since joining the Yankees is especially impressive considering his early numbers have been stronger than the two pitchers drafted ahead of him and signed by the Yankees. Fifth-round pick Cory Stuart has made only one appearance since signing, and sixth-round pick Jason Stephens, who got a $500,000 signing bonus, has a 6.87 ERA with 11 strikeouts and six walks.
TUCKER BACK: After a three-week stint in the minor leagues, former River Ridge standout T.J. Tucker was recalled to the Montreal Expos on Thursday.
Tucker, 24, had a 5.96 ERA - up nearly two runs from his rookie season last year - when the Expos sent him to the Class-AAA affiliate in Edmonton. He had been tagged for four runs without recording an out in his last major-league appearance on July 8.
Tucker posted a 2.76 ERA in three starts with Edmonton , throwing a combined 161/3 innings. Tucker had only one start in 33 appearances this year with the Expos.