Hillcats doubled in loss to Kinston

By Andy Bitter

Published: July 11, 2008

The way he pitched in four starts before the first-half break, Hillcats left-hander Daniel Moskos appeared to be turning a corner.

Four starts into the second half, it looks more like a U-turn.

Moskos struggled badly for the third time in his last four starts as Lynchburg lost 8-4 to Kinston at City Stadium on Friday.

The left-hander, who the Pirates took with the No. 4 overall pick in last year’s draft, gave up six runs in five-plus innings. In four second-half starts, Moskos (7-5) has allowed 19 earned runs in 14 innings, for a 12.21 ERA.

“It’s a long season,” Moskos said. “You’re going to have ups and downs, and right now it’s a little bit of a slump. Today I threw the ball a lot better. Maybe the results weren’t as good, but I felt a lot better than I have in the previous starts.”

Lynchburg (12-9) finished its nine-game homestand with a 6-3 record, but Moskos struggled in both of his starts in the past week.

Though he avoided the dreaded 30-pitch inning that cut short two of his previous three outings after two innings, he fought through some mechanical issues in his delivery, which showed in the final line — six runs on seven hits, three walks and three wild pitches.

“It’s just stuff that’s a work in progress,” said Moskos, who is working on staying looser through his delivery to ensure a more consistent release point.

“When you’ve done something one way for such a long period of time, it’s hard right away to be able to (switch) it,” Hillcats manager Jeff Branson said. “Once the game starts, and this is what we tell guys, you have to be you.

“All the stuff that you work on, that’s what you work on on the side. But once you get in the game, you can’t think of all those things you’ve been working on. You just have to pitch.”

Moskos fell behind 2-0 after two innings but appeared to figure things out in the third and fourth, cruising through six economical outs in 20 pitches.

The real problems began in the fifth. Beau Mills bounced a two-out single to right that scored Alex Castillo to make it 3-0.

In the sixth, Jared Goedert, who was 4-for-5, led off with a single. Carlos Rivero was next, battling Moskos throughout an eight-pitch at bat that ended with a walk.

“He battled his tail off and put together a real good at bat,” Moskos said. “I couldn’t quite get him out. That was kind of the dagger.”

If it wasn’t, Niuman Romero’s RBI double to left was. It gave Kinston a 4-1 lead and ended Moskos’ night with two runners still on base. Both of them scored off reliever Jake Cuffman, bringing Moskos’ ERA for the year to 5.31.

“I made a lot of progress from the last start to this start,” Moskos said, “but there is still a lot of progress to be made.”

The Indians’ 7-1 lead through 5½ innings was more than enough offense for starter Josh Tomlin (7-4), who gave up two runs in six innings for the win, fanning eight.

The Hillcats struck out 13 times on the night, four coming by cleanup hitter Jamie Romak.

“Things like that just can’t happen,” Branson said. “With a guy who is around the zone that much and is that consistent, there’s no reason to have 13 strikeouts.”

NOTES: Mills hit a solo home run in the ninth inning, his 14th of the year. … Kinston improved to 12-9 this half. … Four Hillcats — Kent Sakamoto, Eddie Prasch, Jared Keel and Kris Watts — had two hits. … Former Lynchburg outfielder Pedro Powell returned to City Stadium after being released by the Pirates earlier this week. He spent the first half at Double-A Altoona. Powell, who is the Hillcats’ all-time stolen base leader, threw out a ceremonial first pitch and signed autographs for fans throughout the game.