MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Former Webster Baseball All-American Josh Fleming achieved a career milestone on Sunday as the left-hander tossed his second consecutive nine-inning complete game in tossing a shutout for the Montgomery Biscuits over Birmingham Barons in Double A action at Riverwalk Stadium. Montgomery won the game 2-0 over the Barons behind Fleming complete game shutout performance.
In Montgomery's 2-0 win over Birmingham, who is the Double A affiliate in the Southern League for the Chicago White Sox, Fleming, who was selected in the fifth round (139th overall) by the Tampa Bay Rays in the 2017 MLB Draft, becomes the first Biscuit pitcher to toss back-to-back nine inning complete games in franchise history.
Against Birmingham, Fleming, who improved to 10-4 on the season, allowed three hits, walked one and struck out six in the 88-pitch outing, which included 61 strikes. Sunday's game lasted one hour and 45 minutes, which was the shortest Biscuits game in Riverwalk Stadium history.
Fleming faced one batter over the minimum in the win against the Barons. A 4-3 double play in the second inning wiped off a leadoff walk issued to Damek Tomscha. In the third inning, Fleming allowed a single to Alfredo Gonzalez, who was thrown out trying to steal second. From that point, Fleming retired the next seven Birmingham hitters in order before a single by Joel Booker in the sixth. Booker, though, would be doubled off on a line-out off the bat of Laz Rivera to end the inning. Luis Gonzalez, who is the No. 13 prospect in the White Sox organization, was the only baserunner Fleming left on in the game as Gonzalez reached on a two-out single in the eighth inning.
Montgomery got on the scoreboard in the fourth on a solo home run by Tristan Gray off of Birmingham hurler Matt Tomshaw (4-5).
In the sixth, Josh Lowe added a sacrifice fly that came after a triple by Taylor Walls to give Montgomery a 2-0 lead.
The shutout, which was his first of the season for Fleming, was the Southern League's league-best 17th shutout of the 2019 season. The win improved Montgomery's record to 70-47 on the year.
Fleming, who was named an All-Star this season in the Southern League, has now won five of his last six appearances and on the season is 10-4 with a 3.25 ERA. In 116.1 innings this season, Fleming has allowed 112 hits, 52 runs, 42 earned runs and has walked 16 and struck out 87. Fleming has made 19 appearances and 16 starts and opposing hitters are hitting .252 and Fleming has a 1.11 WHIP. He has not allowed more than an earned run in each of his last four starts.
Over his last six appearances, Fleming is 5-0 with a 2.14 ERA. In those six appearances, he has allowed 29 hits, 10 earned runs, has walked five and struck out 26. In his two-plus year professional career, Fleming is 20-10 with a career 3.23 ERA. He has made 50 appearances, 42 starts and has tossed four complete games. In 261.2 career innings, Fleming has allowed 246 hits, 109 runs, 94 earned runs, has walked 42 and struck out 193. He has a career 1.11 WHIP and opposing hitters are hitting .252 against Fleming.
This is Fleming's first year playing in Double-A as he was promoted to Montgomery after a stellar year of professional baseball playing for Single-A for both Bowling Green (Ky.) and Port Charlotte (Fla.) in 2018. In 2018, Fleming went a combined 9-4 with a 2.53 ERA playing for both Low A Bowling Green and High A Charlotte last season.
In 2018, Fleming made 19 appearances, had 17 starts and threw one complete game. In 110.1 innings of work, the left hander allowed 92 hits, 34 runs (31 earned runs), walked 19 and struck out 80, including 38 strikeouts and nine walks in 50.1 innings at High A Charlotte. Opposing hitters hit .224 against Fleming and he also recorded a WHIP of 1.01.
While with Bowling Green, Fleming made 10 starts and posted a 6-1 record and a 1.20 ERA. In those 60 innings of work, Fleming recorded 42 strikeouts, walked just 10 and had an 0.85 WHIP. He closed out his time in Bowling Green by winning his last four starts and compiled a 1.33 ERA as he allowed just 15 hits, four runs, three earned runs, while striking out 18 and walked just four in 27 innings.
Meanwhile, at Charlotte, Fleming went 3-3 with a 4.11 ERA as he made nine appearances and seven starts on the mound and tossed his first career complete game against Daytona in his final start with the Stone Crabs on Aug. 30. In 50.1 innings with Charlotte, Fleming allowed 51 hits, 25 runs (23 earned runs), while walking nine and striking out 38. Opposing hitters hit .258 and Fleming posted a 1.19 WHIP.
The former D3Baseball.com Pitcher of the Year in 2017 began his professional in the summer of 2017 with the Rays Rookie League team in Princeton of the Appalachian League. At Princeton, Fleming went 1-2 with a 5.40 ERA as he appeared in 12 games and made nine starts. In 35 innings of work, Fleming allowed 42 hits, 23 runs (21 earned runs), while walking seven and striking 26 and posted a WHIP of 1.40.
Fleming completed his third and final season with the Gorloks in 2017. As a junior in 2017, Fleming, who is a native of Columbia, Ill., recorded an NCAA Division III leading ERA of 0.68 and was second in Division III in strikeouts with 115 in 92.2 innings of work. In addition, he posted an 8-1 record in helping the Gorloks advance to the NCAA Division III Baseball Regional Tournament for the 11th time in school history.
In 2017, Fleming racked up numerous honors, including being named the D3Baseball.com Pitcher of the Year and earning First-Team All-American honors from both D3Baseball.com and ABCA/Rawlings. In addition, he was named the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Year, the Central Region Pitcher of the Year and a First-Team All-Central Region selection by both D3Baseball.com and ABCA/Rawlings.
Fleming set Webster single season marks for ERA and strikeouts and allowed the second lowest batting average for opponents (.165). Additionally, Fleming recorded the lowest career ERA in school history (1.92) and finished second in career strikeouts (251) and fourth in wins (19).
