Bobwhite Watching: April 21 and beyond
Posted: Mon Dec 06, 2010 6:48 pm
Bobwhites nested atop JL Atlantic
April 21, 1998
WASHINGTON D.C.— Three weeks into the season, the Washington Bobwhites are in a much better position than they were last year and are optimistic they can work to hold onto their current lead in the division.
The Bobwhites, 11-7, are currently just one game up on the Greenville Moonshiners, with whom they split a four-game homestand earlier this month. Washington has won three of its last four after a disappointing four-game series in Baltimore, where they lost three games to the Monarchs.
Washington will work on taking the rubber match in a three-game series against the visiting Omaha Barnstormers, 7-10, with a game tonight before heading out to Hawaii to take on the 11-6 Tropics.
The Bobwhites will send left-hander Paul Kindel to the mound tonight against Omaha's Arturo Garza. Kindel has recently joined the starting rotation after opening the season with three relief appearances. In his two starts, Kindel has posted an 11.25 ERA in eight innings, failing to factor in the decision of either game. The Bobwhites have won in each of Kindel's starts. Garza, 0-1 with a 5.09 ERA in three starts, is coming off his best start of the young season, holding Louisville to three runs on seven hits and no walks in eight innings en route to a 5-4 loss in which he avoided taking a loss to his record.
Washington will send Shane Christen, Ken Howell, and Gus Cantrell to the mound in Hawaii. Christen has made four starts as the Bobwhites’ ace, but has earned just one decision, a win. He has posted a 3.07 ERA in 29 1/3 innings, a 0.95 WHIP, and opponents have hit just .182 against him.
“I’m not worried about how many wins are attached to my name,” said Christen. “My main concern is making sure the team gets the win. If I get a W next to my name, that’s great, so long as there’s not a L.”
Howell has had a solid April thus far, posting a 3-1 record with a 2.43 ERA in four starts with a 0.84 WHIP and .215 opponents average against. The Tropics have a number of hitters with good success against Howell, however. Robb Wells has hit .500 (11-for-22) against Howell, as has Silas Camarena (8-for-16). Fortunately for Howell, not everyone in the Hawaii lineup has done so well against him. Tim McGraw is a .238 hitter (5-for-21) against Howell, Daniel Fabiano has a .227 average (5-for-22) in his career against Howell while David “Big Papi” Smurf is just a .182 (8-for-44) hitter
Cantrell, 29, is 1-2 with a 4.76 ERA in three starts. He has struggled with his control in his outings, walking 18 batters in 17 innings, but has managed to largely work around those troubles. Wells hits Cantrell even better than he does Howell, battering the right-hander for a .538 average (7-for-13). Camarena also hits Cantrell well (.364, 4-for-11) while Smurf (.222, 4-for-18) and Larker (.222, 2-for-9) struggle.
