BRISTOL, Va. -- Perhaps Rick Ankiel can hit his way back to the major leagues.

Ankiel, a pitcher whose bouts of wildness have relegated him to the deep minor leagues, hit two homers Thursday night as the designated hitter for the Johnson City Cardinals of the Appalachian League.

In a rain-shortened 6-3 victory over the Bristol White Sox, Ankiel reached on an error in his first at-bat, hit a solo home run in the fourth inning and highlighted a four-run fifth with a three-run shot. Both home runs were hit to right field.

In Johnson City's season opener Wednesday night, Ankiel gave up an unearned run and just one walk while striking out seven over four innings as the Cardinals defeated the Elizabethton Twins 2-1.

The 21-year-old Ankiel did not throw a wild pitch in what was his strongest outing since being sent to the minor leagues. The left-hander retired 10 of the final last 12 batters he faced after giving up a hit and hitting a batter in the top of the first.

Ankiel went 11-7 with a 3.50 earned-run average as a rookie for the St. Louis Cardinals last season, fanning 175 batters and issuing 90 walks in 175 innings.

However, he was uncontrollably wild in playoff outings against Atlanta and the New York Mets, throwing pitches everywhere from low in the dirt to high to the backstop.

It was more of the same in spring training this year and Ankiel went 1-2 with a 7.12 ERA in six starts, walking 25, hitting three and tossing six wild pitches in 24 innings before being sent to the minors.

Ankiel went 0-2 with a 20.77 ERA in three starts for Class AAA Memphis, yielding 17 walks in 4 1/3 innings before being sent to extended spring training in Florida for the last three weeks.

As a rookie last season, Ankiel homered twice for St. Louis.