LeBlanc (1-0) struck out six of the first eight batters he faced and limited the River Cats – the defending PCL and Triple-A champions – to one run, four hits and a walk in six innings of sharp work for his first victory above Class AA. The left-hander faced four batters over the minimum and sustained his only damage when Landon Powell hit a solo homer in the second that gave Sacramento (1-3) a short-lived lead.
Regarded as the No. 4 prospect in the San Diego Padres system, LeBlanc’s previous high for strikeouts in a game was 10, achieved four times during the 2007 campaign.