April 24--The pressure -- and one thought -- bombarded James Dykstra after he recorded the first out of the seventh inning last week.
"Make sure you don't mess up," he said.
The Class A Winston-Salem right-hander didn't, inducing two more groundouts to complete a seven-inning no-hitter April 15 against Potomac, a Nationals affiliate. The first no-hitter of his career and the 15th in Winston-Salem history came in a 1-0 victory in the opening game of a doubleheader.
"I didn't think it would be that stressful, but once I got that first out, the pressure kind of hit me a little bit," Dykstra said. "But it was a big relief when I finally got that last out."
Dykstra, a 24-year-old White Sox prospect, needed 71 pitches to accomplish the feat, and the ball never left the infield. He walked one and struck out three.
The outing continued a good stretch for the Dykstra family. James' brother, Allan, made his major-league debut with the Rays on April 8, and the first baseman got his first hit in the majors April 13 against the Blue Jays.
"It was a huge moment for my brother," Dykstra said. "We've been waiting for this moment for a long time. The call-up was definitely overdue. He has been working really hard. ... For me to accomplish a no-hitter in the same time was pretty special for the whole family."
James and Allan talk nearly every day, mostly about non-baseball topics because they are otherwise so immersed in the game. But it was Allan who suggested his younger brother add a cutter to his repertoire in the offseason. Dykstra worked on it with pitching coach J.R. Perdew and also refined his curveball, changes he said have contributed to his early success.
Dykstra has given up one earned run on six hits with one walk and 10 strikeouts over 20 innings. He was named Carolina League pitcher of the week after his no-hitter.
The sixth-round draft pick in 2013 had a 9-11 record and 3.43 ERA over 25 starts between Class A Kannapolis and Winston-Salem last year. He threw 152-2/3 innings, the most of his career after starting his college career as a part-time pitcher and outfielder.
"I'm able to throw four or five pitches for strikes, and it's keeping the hitters off balance," Dykstra said. "There are still things I'm learning. I've gotten better every year since I started pitching. I think it's because I'm not just trying to throw hard anymore. I'm actually learning how to pitch, change speeds, throw different pitches in every count, not just fastballs."
Extra innings: Dykstra wasn't the only Sox prospect to win weekly league honors. Triple-A Charlotte infielder Carlos Sanchez was named International League player of the week after he hit .536 with four doubles, six RBIs and six runs last week. Sanchez started the season with the Sox but was sent to Charlotte when Chris Sale returned from the disabled list. ... The Sox outrighted right-handed reliever Kyle Drabek to Charlotte this week after designating him for assignment Monday upon the promotion of Carlos Rodon.
