Hu dominates in Stone Crabs' Florida State League finals win

Chih-Wei Hu struggled in his last three regular-season starts for Class A Advanced Charlotte.

That wasn't the case Thursday, though, as the Rays' No. 16 prospect kicked off the Florida State League finals by firing a career-high eight scoreless innings in a 1-0 win over Daytona.

The 21-year-old right-hander scattered five hits, walked one and struck out nine in the outing, and he generated 10 groundball outs compared to just two in the air.

Hu spent most of the season in the Twins' system pitching for Class A Advanced Fort Myers, where he posted a 2.44 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 73/19 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 84 2/3 innings (15 starts). He also picked up a win in a May 19 spot start for Triple-A Rochester, allowing one earned run on two hits in six innings.

The 6-foot-1, 230-pounder was shipped to Tampa Bay at this year's Trade Deadline in the Kevin Jepsen deal, enabling him to remain in the Florida State League for the remainder of the season. Hu was strong in his first two starts for the Stone Crabs -- allowing a combined two earned runs in eight innings -- but ran into trouble down the stretch, going 0-2 with an 11.32 ERA in 10 1/3 innings spanning his final three starts.

Signed by the Twins in 2009 out of Taiwan, Hu owns a 2.74 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 202/54 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 216 2/3 career innings.