By Steve Sherlock,Sports Editor

Tip Fairchild raved about his throwing session in the bullpen Sunday and another shorter stint Monday.

“I had some of the best stuff I’ve had all year,” Fairchild said.

The timing couldn’t be better, even for the Houston Astros prospect, who has posted some of the best pitching numbers in all of minor league baseball. The Monmouth Academy and University of Southern Maine product will make his debut with the Salem Avalanche in the high-A Carolina League as the starting pitcher Thursday.

The Astros promoted Fairchild from the low-A Lexington Legends late last week.

“I was a little surprised,” Fairchild said by telephone from his hotel room in Salem, Va. “I knew they would make a move with me sometime, but I thought it would be at the end of the season. It was a little quick, but at the same time I was ready to move up.”

Fairchild was mowing down hitters in the South Atlantic League. When he received the call, Fairchild had a 10-3 record with a minuscule 1.66 ERA. Starting a team-high 16 games, the right-hander had allowed 90 hits in 108.2 innings with 98 strikeouts and 19 walks.

The 12th-round draft pick in 2005 led the league in wins, innings pitched, WHIP (walk and hits per nine innings), was second in ERA and tied for fourth in strikeouts. Fairchild was the starting pitcher in the league’s all-star game.

Despite the dream of making the climb to a potential major league career, Fairchild admitted to having some mixed feelings with the promotion.

“Lexington was the perfect situation for me,” Fairchild said. “A lot of the guys were from my draft class. The team, area and coaches were the best. I was very comfortable there. But the job is to move up.”

One of the biggest differences in the Carolina League, Fairchild noted, is the age of the players. At 22, he said he is the second or third youngest player on the team, with most of his teammates between the ages of 24 and 26.

Following an up-and-down rookie season last year for the Tri City ValleyCats in the New York-Penn League, Fairchild credits this season’s success to a renewed confidence in his pitches – especially the development of a sinker and change-up – and his catcher Justin Towles.

“I was very comfortable how my catcher called the games,” Fairchild said. “We worked very well together.”

Fairchild also credits the talks he had with future hall-of-famer Roger Clemens, who started one game in Lexington on rehab before rejoining the Astros. The two talked pitching on several occasions, with Clemens giving tips on mixing up his pitches.

“We went out to dinner one night after I pitched and had no decision after allowing one run,” Fairchild said. “He said I could sit next to him because he’s been through that a lot with the Astros.

“Everything he’s said has helped.”

Having already thrown nearly 110 innings, Fairchild is reaching a career high set during his sophomore year at Southern Maine when he estimated he threw 80 pitches for USM and another 50 playing semipro ball in Sanford.

Due to the heavy workload, the Houston organization had Fairchild skip a start before Thursday’s debut.

Planning to moving into a new apartment today on a rare day off, Fairchild is settling in as he takes the next step up the minor league ladder. When asked if he might be sent back to Lexington for the playoffs, the organization made it clear where they think Fairchild’s career is headed.

“They said they want me to help Salem make the playoffs,” he said.

New start for Cavers

Eric Cavers of Otisfield, Fairchild’s former teammate, was released by Lexington last week. The former fourth-round draft choice of Houston was quickly scooped up by the Rockford RiverHawks in the midwest-based independent Frontier League.

After struggling at Lexington with a .165 batting average, Cavers is off to a quick start. In five games, the catcher is hitting .357, including a game-ending three-run home run in the 10th inning.

“He’s going to get signed by someone,” Fairchild said. “He was playing behind (Houston’s) top prospect catcher. It’s tough to get at-bats when the guy ahead of you is hitting .350 all year.”