SPLIT SALVAGED IN SAN FERNANDO
BATS ERUPT IN GAME 2
Smarting from a Slugger shellacking, the Nine went on the road to San Fernando and succumbed in the first game of a two-game series when opener Edgardo Llauro put two guys on base before manager Bill Inkster made a move. His 14 pitches turned out to be about 11 too many. That said, the bullpen shut the Bears down well enough, but the bats could muster only two runs.
Game two saw the Nine taking certain frustrations on Bear starter Mitchell Swanson as they delivered considerably more runs that Carlos Valle needed. The Nine pounded out eight doubles and four homers. Valle went five and a third and gave up only 1 run while striking out six hitters. “This is a tough place to pitch,” he said afterward. “Not the least because the guys they send to the plate are tough.” Freddy Delgado threw three innings of solid relief, striking out 8 hitters and allowing only a solo homer.
Manager Mentions: “We’ve got to tighten some things up,” Inkster said after the opener.” Apparently his tinkering worked. “We know who we are,” he said after the second game. “We know these things are going to come around if we just keep chopping wood.”
Fan Blasts: The BillMustGo.com website’s public register currently shows it has 1,122 members. “We’re not taking it down until either Inkster gets fired or we get a sweep of Louisville,” one poster said. “Until then, screw off.”
Starter PQS:
| Game | 6+ IP | H < IP | 5K | 3K => BB | 0 HR | Total PQS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Llauro | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 2 | Valle | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
Off Topic
9-Notes:
- AA Pitching prospect Vicente Mendez (5/7/8) will need to undergo radial nerve decompression surgery, and will miss the rest of the season. The 20-year-old was considered a solid prospect, selected in the 6th round of the 2038 amateur draft, and having marched with some success up the club’s organizational charts.
- Center fielder Abdeljilli Sediki had one hit in Wednesday’s game. Every other Nine hitter had at least two.
- Word from AAA Indianapolis is that 22-year-old outfielder Jim Des Jardien has show progress in left field. Insiders suggest that it could be a matter of days, not weeks, before he arrives in Yellow Springs.
- Similarly, with 1B/DH Mark Haynes raking in Indianapolis (5 HR, .431/.482/.863), one has to wonder how long Miguel Fernandez will have a job.
- Opener Edgardo Llauro's two starts this season have been so stink-a-licious that most observers have got to be wondering if the team will have to rethink the whole idea. The lefty's 45.00 ERA is enough to spin your head right around.
