Lilek has "perfect" debut

Lilek, Castellanos and Farnworth after their perfecto.

Professional baseball debuts can be nerve-wracking, as you're making your first appearance for a team that has high hopes for you. Players afterwards breath a sign of relief, and move on with the grind that is minor league baseball.

For Miami Marlins draftee Brett Lilek, who played with the Newport Gulls in 2013, it was even more intense. The Arizona State southpaw, making his first appearance for Class A Short Season Batavia since being drafted in the second round, entered in the eighth inning with a perfect game on the line.

"Everyone knew that a perfect game was on the line," Lilek said. "When they signaled down to get me going, I said to myself, 'Don't mess this up. Whatever you do, don't be that guy.' "

The hard-throwing lefty struck out all three batters he faced, combining with Muckdogs starter Gabriel Castellanos (seven innings, 12 strikeouts) and reliever Steven Farnworth to throw the first

Scorebook from the perfect. /Muckdogs

perfect game in team history and just the third in the New York Penn League's history.

"When that final out was recorded, I had a big sigh of relief and many triumphant cheers were let out," Lilek said after Farnworth got a game-ending groundout. "I've never been a part of something so memorable, and I'll forever remember that moment moving forward in my baseball career."

Lilek needed just 14 pitches in his debut, striking out the 4-5-6 hitters in Mahoing Valley's lineup.

"I felt comfortable out there," Lilek said. "I wasn't too anxious, I was relaxed and I think I showed that. I only threw one inning, so I didn't get to throw many pitches which mean I only used my fastball and slider to my advantage."

Batavia pitching coach Brendon Sagara turned to Lilek out of the pen, knowing he had what it took to handle a big situation. The lefty had recently pitched during the D-I regionals for the Sun Devils, and was no stranger to high-pressure situations.

"He really stepped it up. He stepped up to the moment big-time," Sagara told MILB.com. "What the two relievers did really well was getting control of counts and commanding fastball down in the corners. They didn't make any mistakes out over the plate, they didn't give hitters a lot to look at, got them on their heels quick."

Two years ago, Lilek was a member of the Newport Gulls. He struck out 26 in 27 innings and went 4-2 with a 1.64 ERA, earning an All-Star nod. He struck out two of the four batters he faced for the East Division, and struck out nine over six shutout innings against Plymouth in his last start of the summer.