When the Dodgers drafted right-hander Chris Anderson in the first round of the 2013 draft and left-hander Tom Windle in the second round, they probably weren’t thinking that they might have the next Kershaw-Billingsley type one-two punch, but it is beginning to appear that this is exactly what they might have.

After being drafted together, the two became close friends and have come up through the Dodgers farm system pretty much together every step of the way. They both began their professional careers with the Low Single-A Great Lakes Loons and they both began the 2014 season with the Advanced Single-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes, where they have both done well.

Through 13 starts the 21-year-old Anderson is 3-5 with a 5.46 ERA, has struck out 67 and walked 29 in 59.1 innings pitched, while the 22-year-old Windle is 5-4 with a 3.93 ERA, has struck out 60 and walked 20 in 68.2 innings pitched in his 13 starts. As you can see, Windle has thrown 9.1 more innings than Anderson (the equivalent of slightly more than one full game) in the same number of starts. Why? Because Windle has gone six innings or more in five of his last 10 starts whereas Anderson has done so only twice.

On two occasions Windle has gone a season-high seven innings and in both of those outings he held his opponents scoreless, allowing only three hits in each.

The second of those two outings occurred on Thursday night when the Quakes beat the Lancaster JetHawks 4-2 only one night after the JetHawks clenched their second consecutive first-half title and earning a trip to the 2014 Cal League postseason.

To say that Windle dominated the extremely powerful JetHawks line-up is a gross understatement; he flat out owned them. As noted, Windle allowed only three hits (all singles) while striking out four and walking only one. So good was Windle that he did not allow one JetHawks player to reach third base and allowed only one to reach second base – a stolen base by JetHawks left fielder Jordan Scott.

Tom Windle was almost Kershaw-like on Thursday night, allowing only one JetHawks batter to reach second base. (Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

Hot-hitting designated hitter Aaron Miller got the Quakes on the board in the second inning with a solo home run to right field – his second home run in as many nights and fifth in his last 10 games. Before the second inning was over, JetHawks right-hander (and Astros 2012 number one draft pick) Mark Appel had given up four runs, which was all the offense that Windle would need – and get.

Aaron Miller rounds second base after slugging his second home run in as many nights.
(Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

Windle was relieved by left-hander Dan Coulombe in the eighth inning. Coulombe struck out the first batter he face, induced a pop out to second base and walked a batter. Quakes manager P.J. Forbes then brought in right-hander Rob Rogers for a four-out save. Rogers got out of the inning on one pitch – a ground out to second baseman Brandon Dixon.

Rogers didn’t fair so well in the bottom of the ninth allowing two runs on two hits with two walks and two strikeouts, including the final out of the game with the potential winning run at the plate.