Chris Stratton Impresses in Major League Debut

Story by: Henry Schulman

ATLANTA (San Francisco Chronicle) — Toward the end of Monday’s 5-3 Braves victory, a large contingent of Giants fans riled the home crowd with a very loud “Let’s go, Giants” chant. Only a handful were related to Southerner Chris Stratton, who struck out two of his three hitters in his big-league debut.

“Not as many as you’d think, 12 or so,” Stratton said. “With friends, it was about 20.”

They came from Stratton’s hometown of Tupelo, Miss., to see the 20th overall pick in the 2012 draft work on a big-league mound. Stratton’s arrival took longer than he or the Giants hoped when they selected him from Mississippi State. He has made 85 minor-league starts.

He had a 6.02 ERA for Triple-A Sacramento this season but looked nothing like that as he faced the Braves in the eighth inning of a 5-1 game. He retired Adonis Garcia on a fly to center, then struck out Nick Markakis and Kelly Johnson. His fastball sat at 92 mph and touched 94.

“He was impressive,” manager Bruce Bochy said. “The kid went out there and looked comfortable. That’s a good start.”

Stratton said he was not as nervous as he expected to be, benefiting from two days to acclimate himself in Denver.

“Getting away from Colorado and the thin air was also really nice,” he said. “I’m glad I got one inning under my belt, and I’m ready for the next one.”

Stratton’s stay in the majors could be brief. Sergio Romo is completing a minor-league rehab assignment and could be activated as early as Thursday, necessitating a move.