What It Means:

This would have been a noteworthy performance for any pitcher, but it's made all the more impressive by the fact that it was the first career major league start for the 24-year-old right-handed hurler. He fanned three and walked two, with a C.J. Cron solo homer ruining Cotton's shutout bid in the seventh inning. His next scheduled start will be a road matchup with the Kansas City Royals.

With Triple-A Oklahoma City this season, Cotton recorded a 4.90 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 29.5 strikeout percentage across 97 1/3 innings of work.