Sometimes the best way to beat the numbers game is with your own numbers.

 

And Brett Durand has given the Florida Marlins some numbers to think about. In two starts for the Greensboro Grasshoppers, Durand has a 2-0 record, pitching 11 innings with a 1.64 ERA, eight strikeouts and no walks. Opposing batters were hitting just .146 against him.

 

Two starts don’t make a season, of course. But Durand hopes they were good enough to make a place on the roster.

 

“The reason why he didn’t come up here to begin with was a matter of numbers,” said Hoppers pitching coach John Duffy. “He pitched well enough to be here.”

 

Simply put, there were too many pitchers in the Marlins’ minor league camp when the Hoppers’ roster was decided, so Durand and several other pitchers were left behind in extended spring training. 

 

It didn’t take long for him to be called up, however, after Hector Correa (infected tooth, then a blister) and Jay Voss (elbow) were placed on the disabled list. Durand flew from Jupiter, Fla., to Greensboro last Monday, got to NewBridge Bank Park between 3:30 and 4 p.m., did some long toss and threw 12-14 pitches from the mound.

 

Tuesday night, he started and threw five shutout innings against the Hickory Crawdads. Sunday night, he allowed two runs in six innings against the Asheville Tourists.

 

“Every time they tell me I’m getting the ball, I just try to do my best so I can stay here,” Durand said. “They (the Marlins) always make the call and wherever they want you to go you’ve got to go. You just have to be ready; it’s part of minor-league baseball.”

 

Since Correa might miss one more start, that could open up another one for Durand. After that, he’s prepared for whatever happens. But a third straight strong outing would help his cause.

 

“Brett knows how to pitch,” Duffy said after his first start. “He has a feel for the breaking ball and he commanded his fastball. We’ve been preaching a lot about first-pitch strikes and he was 14 out of 18 (batters faced).”

 

Duffy said Durand added his slider to his repertoire in the second outing. He threw his breaking ball for strikes early in the count so hitters couldn’t sit on the fastball. He got ahead in the count, changed speeds and kept hitters off-stride. He gave up a home run, but Duffy said it was a ball that got up in the wind and was blown out of the park.

 

Greensboro is certainly where Durand, a native of Denham Springs, La., wants to stay. Drafted out of Delta State in the 11th round last summer, Durand pitched in nine games in the Gulf Coast League and posted a 1-2 record with a 3.57 ERA.

 

The next natural progression for him would be Jamestown in the short-season New York-Penn League. But Durand aimed for the full-season Hoppers during the spring.

 

“I had a great spring training and it was a little disappointing not to make the roster,” he said, “but you can’t let things like that affect you too much because it will affect your performance. It was kind of a motivational thing to make you want to get out of there.”

 

Durand kept his poise during his first start, although he did feel some some nerves. 

 

“You always get butterflies every time,” he said. “The way I look at it, if you don’t get butterflies anymore, you probably shouldn’t be pitching. Growing up I’m glad I had the opportunity to pitch in some big games, so it makes it easier to calm down a little bit.

 

“I always have high expectations for myself. I’m probably the hardest person on myself – if I don’t do good I break down on myself a little hard because I always set high goals.”

 

There’s no telling where Durand’s immediate future lies. He could stay with the Hoppers, return to extended spring or eventually wind up in Jamestown. But the more good numbers he puts up, the harder they will be to ignore.

 

EARLY LOOK-SEE: Several of the Marlins’ roving instructors dropped in to watch part of the Hoppers’ eight-game home stand and also drove over to Zebulon to catch the Double-A Mudcats.

 

Hitting instructor John Mallee like what he saw of the hitters in the early going.

 

“We’ve got a lot of young players here and it’s surprising how good their at-bats are and how professional they’ve been with their approach in game,” Mallee said. “Jorge (Hernandez, Hoppers hitting coach) has done a great job with them and has them on the right track and those guys are feeding off him and doing well.”

 

Mallee said Mike Stanton, Bryan Petersen, Ryan Anetsberger and Ben Lasater were among those who caught his eye. Stanton mashed a home run into the wind during Monday’s game.

 

“(Stanton) has a little different power than most,” Mallee said. “He’s going to mis-hit a lot of balls and still hit them out of the park. When he gets a hold of one, I don’t think there’s any wind that can hold it.”

 

Bill Hass has watched and covered minor league baseball in Greensboro since 1979.