‘Cats eaten alive

By Andy Bitter

Published: June 20, 2008

There was hope that the Carolina League’s one-day first half break would serve as an Etch A Sketch for the woeful Hillcats. Just shake things up a little and voila! Fresh starts all around.

So far, the second half’s picture looks a heck of a lot like the first.

Lynchburg pitchers tied a franchise record in runs allowed during Friday’s 22-3 loss to Myrtle Beach at City Stadium.

The blowout came a day after the Hillcats surrendered 13 runs — all in the second inning — in a loss at Kinston.

The Hillcats (0-4 second half) haven’t had a worse two-day showing since last August, when they allowed 32 runs in back-to-back games.

Of the 35 runs the pitchers have allowed the last two nights, 32 of them are earned.

Lynchburg manager Jeff Branson channeled his inner-Earl Weaver with his colorful post-game remarks, most of which were not fit for print.

Here were more or less his thoughts: “The starting pitching (stinks) right now. It (really stinks). We can’t get out of the (dang) second inning and you expect your bullpen to pick you up? The starting pitching needs to (really) pick it up.”

Like Thursday at Kinston, the nightmare began in the second. The victim this time was Lynchburg’s hottest pitcher, Daniel Moskos (6-4). The left-hander was 3-0 with a 1.13 ERA in his previous three starts, the best three-game stretch since he was taken with the fourth overall pick by the Pirates in last year’s draft.

But Myrtle Beach’s Ernesto Mejia and Brandon Hicks hit back-to-back singles to start the second before Moskos walked Tyler Flowers on a 3-2 pitch.

Things spiraled out of control from there. A wild pitch started the scoring. Travis Jones followed with an RBI single and Concepcion Rodriguez hit a sacrifice fly that gave the Pelicans a 3-0 lead.

Moskos struggled with his command all night. He walked Gorkys Hernandez after running another count full and hit Willie Cabrera to load the bases.

His biggest mistake came next: A ripe 0-1 fastball that Eric Campbell launched into the netting beyond the center field wall. The grand slam made it 7-0 and made sure Moskos’ night was done.

“You have to put it behind you,” Branson said. “What’s done is done. But I expect (Thursday’s starter Michael) Crotta and (Moskos) in the next game … to be at their best. I don’t expect them to come out and get their (butts) handed to them like they did the last two (stinking) nights.”

It was only the beginning. Myrtle Beach (3-1) scored six runs in the seventh and five in the ninth. Flowers hit three-run home runs in both innings, giving him nine on the year. The catcher was 3-for-4 with two home runs, a double and seven RBIs.

Things got so bad that Lynchburg had outfielder James Barksdale pitch the ninth in what was his second appearance this year. When he struggled, outfielder Eddie Prasch and utility man Tony Mansolino both started warming up, so taxed was Lynchburg’s bullpen.

“Two nights in a row we’ve been in the bullpen in the second (darn) inning,” Branson said. “It’s the starters not doing their jobs.”

Mejia was 4-for-6 with three runs and Jon Mark Owings and Gorkys Hernandez had three hits apiece for the Pelicans.

Myrtle Beach starter Scott Diamond improved to 5-1 after giving up three runs on five hits in six innings. He struck out five.

Notes

Hillcats shortstop Brian Friday will head to Pittsburgh on Tuesday to have an MRI and let the Pirates’ doctors look at his injured back. He has already been replaced on the Carolina League all-star team. In the meantime, Angel Gonzalez will split time between second base and short. Greg Picart and Mansolino will also see time in the middle infield.