Cavalli flashes some heat in All-Star Futures Game (updated)

By Pete Kerzel

Nationals

July 11, 2021, 1:30pm

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Double-A Harrisburg's Cade Cavalli flashed a little of the triple-digit velocity that made him a first-round pick by the Nationals in the 2020 First-Year Player Draft during a one-inning relief stint in Sunday's All-Star Futures Game at Coors Field in Denver.

Relieving the Pirates' Quinn Priester to start the fifth inning with his National League team ahead 6-0, Cavalli struck out two and walked two during a 29-pitch inning. He threw 15 pitches for strikes and twice hit 100 mph on the radar gun against American League hitters.

Cavalli, who is 3-3 with a 2.47 ERA and 1.113 WHIP in 11 starts between Single-A Wilmington and Harrisburg, started his inning by getting the Tigers' Riley Greene to ground out to second base. Cavalli then walked the Tigers' Spencer Torkelson (last year's No. 1 overall pick) before striking out the Red Sox's Jeter Downs swinging on a 91 mph sinker on a 2-2 pitch. Twice in the at-bat, Downs fouled off 100 mph four-seam fastballs.

The Blue Jays' Austin Martin walked when Cavalli couldn't control his four-seamer, prompting a mound visit. Cavalli then fanned the Yankees' Jasson Dominguez for the inning's final out on a four-seamer that registered at 99 mph.

Manuel RodrÃguez of the Cubs relieved Cavalli, the Nationals' top pitching prospect, in the sixth.

Update: The NL won the Futures Game 8-3.