• Find team by: Affiliation | Class | Geography
     
05/01/2009 11:34 PM ET
Locke turns key against Sox again
Penguins southpaw takes another no-hitter into seventh inning
By Mason Kelley / Special to MLB.com
Jeff Locke has stuck out 13 while allowing four hits over 13 2/3 innings in his last two starts. (Tom Priddy/MiLB.com)

ADVERTISEMENT
• Box score
• Locke's player page
• Purchase Carolina League tickets

The running joke around the Myrtle Beach clubhouse these days is that Jeff Locke gave away back-to-back no-hit bids in the seventh inning because of the soft spot he has for the Boston Red Sox.

After all, his opponent in both starts just happened to be an affiliate of the team the left-hander grew up idolizing.

"Weird, isn't it?" Locke asked with a laugh.

Weird, maybe, but impressive is the word that seems appropriate when referring to Locke's last two outings. For the second straight start, he took a no-hitter into the seventh inning Friday as the Pelicans blanked the Salem Red Sox, 2-0.

"It's pretty crazy, huh?" Locke said. "No one goes out there and tries to do that."

For the 21-year-old, the most surprising part of his last two performances is that they followed a rough outing on April 20 in which he allowed six runs over 3 1/3 innings. As Red Sox fans would say, he was "wicked nervous" for his first start against Salem but didn't show it, tossing 6 1/3 innings and yielding a run on two hits.

Facing the Red Sox again, Locke didn't know what to expect. He certainly didn't plan on a repeat performance, but there he was, on the mound in the seventh inning with the scoreboard still showing zero hits for Salem.

Ryan Kalish broke up the no-hitter with a single to center field leading off the seventh, but Locke closed out the inning and left without giving up a run. He struck out six, yielded two hits and said he was able to mix in a solid curve and change with his fastball.

What Locke refused to do was take credit for his performance, reserving all the praise for his teammates.

"Back-to-back games where I lose a no-hitter in the seventh is pretty impressive and all, but it could have been gone in the first or second inning," he said.

He pointed to a pair of plays that kept the gem intact. In the fourth, shortstop Chad Lundahl made a sliding play on a ground ball up the middle. Then, with two outs in the sixth, Kris Negron stepped to the plate.

Negron broke up Locke's last no-hit bid and the young lefty didn't want the former seventh-round pick to get the best of him again.

"He was really the one I wanted to get," Locke said. "I didn't want him to break it up again. I don't care if it gets broken up, but not him, because he would have my number for the rest of the season."

When Negron made contact, it sounded like he broke his bat and Locke thought the ball took a strange path to the outfield.

"Oh, there it goes, that little sucker got me again," Locke thought.

Instead, center fielder C.J. Lee made a "spectacular" diving catch.

"Trust me, I picked him up after that," Locke said.

After two solid starts, the New Hampshire native is looking for consistency. He said he goes into each game with a plan to keep his team in contention, but he is still crafting his strategy for long-term success.

"You know what, I don't know yet," Locke said. "I haven't done it. ... You can't expect too much."

Asked how he became a Red Sox fan, Locke said he didn't have a choice. He grew up in New Hampshire, where "they put a stamp" on him. But with Braves' games on TBS, he frequently found himself following Atlanta. People ask if he would rather pitch for the organization he grew up rooting for, but Locke doesn't hesitate to say he wants to stay where he is and learn how to play baseball, "the Atlanta Braves way."

Mason Kelley is a contributor to MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.