Jeff Locke's first trip to the major leagues last September was, indeed, the realization of a childhood dream. Now the stakes are much higher.

The Kennett High of Conway graduate was called up by the Pirates last week, jumping into the middle of the National League playoff race. Locke had thrown 15 1/3 scoreless innings at Triple-A Indianapolis when receiving the call. The 24-year-old flew to Pittsburgh and extended the streak to 17 2/3 scoreless innings, recording seven straight outs in relief against the Diamondbacks.

“Last year was an eye-opener, for sure. I had a taste, and I knew I wanted to get back,” Locke said at MLB.com. “They were out of (the playoffs) by the time I got here, and now it’s a completely different clubhouse. Everyone is ready to keep this thing going.”

In May, the southpaw joined the Pirates for three days while reliever Jason Grilli took a bereavement leave. Locke didn’t pitch during the brief stint but learned a lot by listening and watching veterans like A.J. Burnett, who has been tremendous this season, going 14-3 with a 3.19 ERA entering Saturday night. In the spring, Locke and Burnett became friends at big-league training camp.

“I told him, ‘You were an intimidating guy when you pitched for the Blue Jays and Yankees,’ but he’s really easy to talk with and looks out for the younger guys,” said Locke, now wearing No. 49 for the Pirates. “He’s such a big part of this team. When he’s around, guys in the clubhouse do more listening and less talking.”

Locke has stayed red-hot pitching from the ’pen. For the first time all season, he entered in relief, immediately pitching from the stretch against Arizona. Inherited runner Justin Upton was left stranded at second base, and Locke proceeded to throw 2 1/3 perfect innings in a 6-3 loss.

“I feel much more confident this year,” Locke told reporters after the game. “I’m not sure if it’s because I spent two-thirds of last year in Double-A, short time in Triple-A. I don’t know, I just feel much more confident this year. I feel like I belong ... (Relieving) is something I’ve never done in my life. To come in, in a game like that, you take a little bit of a different mindset. It’s not going to be an extended period of time like a starting role would be. I’m just trying to stay composed and get ahead of guys, throw strikes and let your defense do some work.”

Locke has made four career appearances for the Pirates, going 0-3 (5.68 ERA).

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MLB REHAB: Blue Jays righty Brandon Morrow, nearly fully recovered from an oblique strain, is scheduled to make a rehabilitation start for the Fisher Cats on Tuesday. The 28-year-old will pitch against Binghamton in the opener of a six-game homestand at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium. Morrow (7-4, 3.01 ERA) hasn’t pitched for the Blue Jays since exiting a June 11 start against the Nationals. In 2010, Morrow nearly no-hit Tampa Bay, fanning 17 Rays and recording 26 outs without yielding a hit. With two outs in the ninth, Evan Longoria spoiled the no-hit bid with an infield single.

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QUEEN CITY CONNECTION: Trinity of Manchester graduate Chad Graff, a sports intern at the Philadelphia Inquirer, caught up with fellow Trinity alumnus Chris Carpenter before Friday’s game between the Phillies and Cardinals. They talked mostly about — what else? — the Bedford Little Leaguers. Graff, a University of New Hampshire graduate, spent four years working at the New Hampshire Union Leader as a part-time reporter and editor.

“I saw that they won the state championship. That’s exciting. Once they got to the regional championship I wasn’t able to watch as much as I wanted, but I’ve been following the results. I’ll be watching (Saturday),” Carpenter, who played Little League in Raymond, told him. “It’s always exciting when you see a team from a small town in a small state do well. I think a lot of people would be pulling for them (if they reached the Little League World Series).”

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PROSPECT ALERT: Red Sox prospect Xander Bogaerts, promoted to Double-A Portland last week, homered in his first game for the Sea Dogs and had two hits the following night. Bogaerts and other top-10 Red Sox prospects Jackie Bradley, Jr., and Bryce Brentz are heading to Manchester, N.H., for the Fisher Cats final home series Aug. 27-30. Bogaerts, from Aruba, is only 19 years old. Bradley, Jr., entered the weekend leading all of Minor League Baseball with a .322 average (136-for-423) in stops at Advanced-A Salem and Portland. While the Red Sox continue limping to the finish line, the Sea Dogs are giving fans a preview of good things ahead.

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FISHER TRACKS: Ex-Fisher Cats starters Drew Hutchison and Dustin McGowan each had surgery last week, with Hutchison undergoing Tommy John elbow ligament replacement surgery and McGowan having his third shoulder surgery. Hutchison, who took the ball on opening day for New Hampshire, went 5-3 (4.60 ERA) after being promoted by the Blue Jays. The 21-year-old will need about a year to fully recover. McGowan, a member of the 2004 championship Fisher Cats, underwent arthroscopic surgery to evaluate his right shoulder joint.

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Staff writer Kevin Gray covers pro baseball for the New Hampshire Union Leader and New Hampshire Sunday News. His email address is kgray@unionleader.com. Twitter: @graymatter11.