At 6-foot-5, 205 pounds, Joliet Slammers pitcher Jordan Guth probably could have had success on a basketball court as well as on the mound.
But it was another sport that drew his interest during the winter in high school.
“I was actually a big hockey player,” Guth said. “Football, hockey and baseball.”
It’s a good thing for the Slammers that Guth, a 24-year-old Onalaska, Wis., native, chose baseball when he went to the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Guth retired nine of the first 10 batters he faced, recovered from a three-run fourth inning and got the win in a come-from-behind 6-3 victory Wednesday over the Lake Erie Crushers at Silver Cross Field.
Guth struck out eight and scattered six hits over eight innings to help the Slammers get their first win after they opened the Frontier League season with four losses.
“He’s got a good fastball,” Slammers manager Jeff Isom said. “You’ve got to be able to hit a fastball off him. If you are a little late, he’s going to take advantage of that.”
Guth did.
“I don’t think I threw a breaking ball until third or fourth inning,” he said. “I just wanted to get ahead, simplify my mechanics, stay back a little bit. Throw the ball down in the zone, get ground balls and let the defense work.”
Guth (1-1) only had one walk Wednesday and described his command as “way better” than in his first start against the Florence Freedom when he lasted only four innings.
“If you’re going to get me, you’re going to get me early in the game,” Guth said. “I’ve always felt the longer I go in the game, the more comfortable, the more settled in I get, which I’m sure is the case for a lot of starting pitchers.”
Drafted in 2012 by the Philadelphia Phillies, Guth played the past two seasons for the organization’s High A team in Clearwater, Florida. He was released near the end of spring training this year.
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“I was just kind of fighting myself with my mechanics,” he said. “I pitched pretty well, I had good numbers. My walks were a little bit up. Going out and throwing a lot of strikes is something I’ve been working on.”
Guth was a starting pitcher his first two years at UW-Milwaukee and a closer for one season before he was drafted.
“Affiliated ball I closed, I started,” he said. “I did a little bit of everything last year. I’ve been in a bunch of different roles.
“They’re (major league organizations) going to see you as one or the other. I’ve been told I fit the starter role.”
Guth uses four pitches — fastball, curveball, slider and changeup. One reason he chose to sign with the Slammers is being close to home.
Guth’s parents and grandparents made the trip from Wisconsin to see his first game at Silver Cross Field.
“We knew he was a quality arm,” Isom said. “We see him as being a top of the rotation type guy.”
“Everything happens for a reason. It’s a good opportunity here,” Guth said. “Bunch of fun guys. Ice (Isom) and Pascy (pitching coach Pascual Santiago) are great coaches, so I’m in a good spot.”
Tierney is a freelance reporter.
Slammers 6, Lake Erie Crushers 3
Summary: The Slammers (1-4) chipped away at a 3-0 deficit. They scored twice in the fourth, once in the sixth and three times in the eighth to break the 3-all tie. Third baseman Mike Garza and second baseman Max Casper made standout plays in the field. Casper put down a run-scoring squeeze bunt in the three-run eighth.
Key moment: After Garza was hit by a pitch to start the eighth and Russell Moldenhauer singled, a sacrifice bunt by Alfredo Rodriguez put runners at second and third to set up the inning. Phil Bates and Jack Cleary (double) had RBI.
By the numbers: DH Moldenhauer (.300) was 2-for-3 with two runs. The Slammers got four RBIs from the last three batters in the lineup. Bates was 1-for-3 with two RBIs. “It was nice to see us driving runs in on our own and not relying on the opposing team to make miscues,” Isom said.
Up next: Lake Erie Crushers (Brad Zambron) at Slammers (Aaron Vaughn), 7:05 p.m. Thursday.