TEXAS LEAGUE : Naturals lose ace, then game
Posted on Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Carlos Rosa’s promotion to Class AAA Omaha Monday created a temporary pitching shortage and a new look for the Northwest Arkansas Naturals.
First-place Northwest Arkansas lost its No. 1 starter, then lost the game, a 7-3 decision to the host Tulsa Drillers as the Naturals (19-18 ) opened an eight-game road trip.
Julio Pimentel, who’s been the team’s second most effective starter after Rosa, allowed early home runs to Tulsa’s Christopher Nelson in the first and Tony Blanco in the third. Pimentel (2-3 ) seemed to settle down before the home run benefited the Drillers again in the seventh. The first two runners reached against Pimentel, and reliever Kyle Crist’s first batter, Neil Wilson, hit a three-run shot to make it 6-2. The Drillers (14-23 ) added another run in the inning.
The Naturals’ recent surge —a 7-1 homestand— put them two games over. 500 and hit the road leading the Texas League’s North Division. But they’ll have to make due without their best pitcher.
Rosa, who went 4-2 and was leading all Texas League starters with a 1. 20 earned-run average in eight outings, was pitching his way into a promotion. The right-hander allowed one earned run in his last four starts, a span of 25 innings.
“It definitely changes when you lose your ace. But we’ve got to continue and that’s what we’re here for, to get guys ready to move up,” Manager Brian Poldberg said before Monday’s game.
The Naturals currently have just active 22 players, two below the 24-man maximum. More pressing is having only nine healthy pitchers available. Teams usually carry 10 and sometimes more pitchers on the roster, so it’s safe to say Northwest Arkansas is short-handed the first two games with the Drillers until Daniel Cortes comes off the disabled list on Thursday.
Cortes, who hasn’t pitched since April 18 and rehabbed his injury at the Kansas City Royals’ extended spring training camp in Surprise, Ariz., threw a bullpen side in Arizona on Monday. He is expected to join the team in Tulsa today and activated to start Thursday’s series finale with the Drillers.
Dusty Hughes, who replaced Cortes in the rotation, is heading back to the bullpen and will be available today. Hughes gives Northwest Arkansas a left-handed relief option again.
The Naturals had another injury setback in the second inning Monday when first baseman Kila Kaaihue, the team’s leader in home runs and RBI, left with back spasms and was replaced by Ed Lucas.
Brian McFall hit his seventh home run for the Naturals in the second and Juan Richardson singled home Angel Sanchez in the third to tie the game 2-2.
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