on the spot

Chris Stratton, the ex-Mississippi State star from Tupelo, got knocked around early in his first big league start today but soldiered on for 6 2/3 innings in San Francisco’s 6-2 loss at Detroit. Stratton, making his third appearance this year and 10th of his career, was a late fill-in for Johnny Cueto, reportedly learning about an hour before the game that he was getting the ball at Comerica Park. He was touched for six hits and five runs in the first three innings; Ole Miss product Alex Presley had two hits and two RBIs for the Tigers. Stratton allowed just three baserunners thereafter. Though he was saddled with the loss for the last-place Giants (34-53), he likely earned some points with his 106-pitch effort. A first-round pick in 2012, when he was the SEC pitcher of the year for the Bulldogs, Stratton has had his ups and downs in the minors, posting a 37-34 record with a 4.11 ERA. He was 3-5, 5.71 in 12 starts at Triple-A Sacramento this season before coming up on Saturday for his second big league stint of this year.