Two of the Phils top pitching prospects took steps into proving they're ready for a promotion sometime in the near future.

Kyle Drabek, the Phils' first-round pick in 2006, was hooked up in a old-fashioned pitcher's duel with Dontrelle Willis Tuesday night on the west coast of Florida and came out on top in Class-A Clearwater's 4-0 win over the Lakeland Flying Tigers.

After Mike Zagurski pitched a scoreless inning to start the game (Zagurski is on the major league DL, on a rehab assignment), Drabek was nearly perfect. He threw 6 2/3 shutout innings.

Drabek, who missed most of last season while recovering from Tommy John surgery, held Lakeland to four hits while striking out 10 and walking two. Willis (on a rehab assignment while battling an anxiety disorder) allowed four runs on eight hits in seven innings.

Drabek might not be far from making the trip north to join Double-A Reading. In three starts at Clearwater, he's dominated: 3-0, 0.96 ERA, 18 2/3 innings, two runs, 26 strikeouts, five walks and a .159 opponents' batting average.


Meanwhile, at Syracuse, Carlos Carrasco matched Drabek's output in K's in Lehigh Valley's 3-1 loss.

Carrasco struck out 10 while walking one in seven innings. He opened the game with six shutout innings before allowing three in the seventh - two coming on a two-run home run by Syracuse shortstop Seth Bynum.

Carrasco, who lost out on the fifth starter's job in spring training, could be posed to join the Phils sometime this summer. After three starts for the IronPigs, Carrasco is 0-1 with a 2.37 ERA; in 19 innings, he's struck out 20 while walking only one.

Carrasco threw 60 of his 88 pitches for strikes Tuesday night.