Blood Pitches Well In Pro Debut

Darin Blood of Post Falls escaped a loss in his professional pitching debut Thursday when the Bellingham Giants rallied for two runs in the ninth inning for a 2-1 win over the Portland Rockies.

Blood, the San Francisco Giants’ third-round selection in the amateur draft, left after 3 2/3 innings, trailing 1-0 on an unearned run.

Blood, drafted after his junior season at Gonzaga University, allowed two hits, struck out none and walked none.

“It worked out all right, but I wasn’t really pleased with the way I pitched,” Blood said.

“I was able to get the hitters out, but I need to get a little more consistent with my location and not get behind in the count.”

Blood’s status in the rotation is uncertain.

“It was good to get it over with,” Blood said of his first start. “I need to make minor adjustments, but I came out fairly strong and was able to settle in.”