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05/03/2009 8:29 PM ET
Purcey polishes control in 51s' loss
Lefty allows one hit, strikes out six in first Las Vegas start
By Mason Kelley / Special to MLB.com
David Purcey was 0-2 with a 7.01 ERA in five starts for the Blue Jays this season. (Frank Gunn/AP)

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When Toronto optioned David Purcey to Triple-A, Blue Jays general manager J.P. Ricciardi said the left-hander was a "big-league pitcher" but wasn't throwing enough strikes.

Following his first start for Las Vegas on Sunday, Purcey took that comment one step further.

"I wasn't throwing enough strikes with my off-speed pitches because I was relying on my fastball," Purcey said. "The main adjustment I'm going to have to make is to be more aggressive with my off-speed [stuff] and just throw it over the plate, try to get them to hit it."

The 27-year-old didn't waste any time making those adjustments as he took a no-hitter into the seventh inning of the 51s' 4-2 loss to the Salt Lake Bees in the finale of a four-game series.

"Today was a first run," Purcey said. "I still had a few walks, but I made major strides. I threw off-speed pitches in counts that I normally wouldn't. I got a good feel for my curveball and my changeup. I relied on my changeup a lot today, and it was good."

Purcey was selected out of the University of Oklahoma with the 16th overall pick of the 2004 Draft. He went 3-5 with a 5.54 ERA in 12 starts for the Blue Jays last season and made the Major League roster out of Spring Training this year.

After going 0-2 with a 7.01 ERA in his first five starts for Toronto, Purcey was optioned to the Pacific Coast League. He willingly accepted the assignment, knowing he needed to work on his control.

"The ultimate goal is to pitch in the big leagues, but I'm going to take it where I'm at right now and realize I'm not getting my off-speed pitches over and I'm going to use the time that I'm here to change my mechanics up a little bit," Purcey said. "I'm not going over my head anymore. I'm just keeping my head in front of me, trying to get a little bit more rhythm."

Purcey's day got off to a rough start when he hit Bradley Coon to start the game. But he settled down and kept a zero in the Bees' hit column until the seventh. He walked Reggie Willits and Freddy Sandoval to open that inning, then surrendered an RBI single to Chris Pettit.

Purcey ended up allowing two runs on one hit and five walks with six strikeouts over 6 1/3 innings. He admitted he wasn't happy with the walks -- half of his 104 pitches were balls -- but it's a start.

"You've got to be able to throw all your pitches for strikes and throw them over the plate," Purcey said, "regardless of what pitch it is, just being able to put all of them over the plate for strikes and pitch to contact, get them to hit the ball and put it in play."

In addition to working on his command, Purcey plans to spend some time exploring Las Vegas. But, he emphasized, this trip is more about business than pleasure.

"I just got here yesterday, so I haven't had a chance to go out at all," Purcey said. "I've actually never been to Vegas, so it's going to be a new experience for me. It should be fun."

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.