Tanner Franklin Keeps Climbing With Another Scoreless Start

Cardinal Chronicle
Minor League Pitcher of the Day
St. Louis, MO
By Ray Mileur

Tanner Franklin Keeps Climbing With Another Scoreless Start

Tanner Franklin continues to make his case.

The Peoria right-hander turned in another strong outing Friday night, working 4.1 scoreless innings in the Chiefs’ 5-2 win over the Beloit Sky Carp. Franklin allowed three hits, walked two and struck out five, giving Peoria the kind of steady start that let the offense take care of the rest.

The Chiefs supplied plenty of power with four solo home runs, but Franklin gave the night its foundation.

For a pitcher trying to establish himself as more than just an interesting arm, consistency is the separator. Franklin has now put together two scoreless starts over his last three outings, and Friday’s effort marked his longest appearance of the season. That is the kind of progression organizations want to see: more length, more trust and more evidence that the stuff can hold up through a lineup.

Franklin did not have to be flashy to be effective. He worked out of traffic, limited hard damage and kept Beloit off the scoreboard. That is old-fashioned pitching. Get the ball, throw strikes, compete, and give your club a chance to win.

The Cardinals’ system has several young arms drawing attention this season, and Franklin is working his way deeper into that conversation. Outings like this matter because they stack. One good start gets noticed. Repeated good starts begin to change how a pitcher is viewed.

Franklin’s season is starting to take that shape.

Peoria’s offense will get the box score headlines, and deservedly so. Four home runs in one game will always grab attention. But the Chiefs won because Franklin set the tone before the bullpen carried it home.

Old School Take: Tanner Franklin is not just putting up clean innings. He is building a résumé. When a pitcher gives you 4.1 scoreless, strikes out five and keeps the game under control, that is the kind of outing that earns another look.

The Cardinal Chronicle, in association with Gateway Sports
Preserving the Past, Promoting the Present, and Projecting the Future.