Hillcats squeeze out victory

By Andy Bitter

Published: July 4, 2008

For three months, the Hillcats patiently waited for everything — solid pitching, timely hitting and reliable fielding — to come together in one enjoyable, prolonged stretch, even if it was for just a week.

That patience is paying off.

Tony Watson threw six shutout innings and relative newcomers Jose De Los Santos and Miles Durham had three hits apiece in Lynchburg’s 2-1 win against Salem at City Stadium on Friday.

It extended the Hillcats’ season-best winning streak to five games. They’ve won nine of 11 since starting the second half 0-4.

It’s their best stretch of baseball since winning 15 of 20 in May of last year.

“This is what has to happen to give yourself a chance to win,” Lynchburg manager Jeff Branson said. “You have to hit well. You have to pitch well. You have to run the bases aggressively.”

Durham, who started out 0-for-21 after being called up from Low-A Hickory last week, has clearly found his stroke, finishing with a 3-for-4 night.

He came through in the clutch, too. With the game tied at 1-1 in the eighth, Lynchburg (9-6) put together a rally, getting a leadoff double from Jim Negrych and a walk by Jamie Romak.

Kent Sakamoto’s sacrifice bunt attempt was too hard and Negrych was thrown out at third, but Salem (4-11) did the Hillcats the service of advancing the runners anyway when Raymar Diaz (3-4) sailed a fastball to the backstop.

Durham fell into a two-strike count when Diaz threw him a low splitter. The slugger got just enough of it to bloop the ball into shallow center, in front of the outfielders and just out of reach of the drawn-in infield. Romak scored to put the Hillcats up 2-1.

“I didn’t care where it went,” Durham said. “I was just trying to put it in play and hopefully it would find somewhere (to fall) where the run would score.”

The lead held up. Moises Robles locked down the save despite giving up a leadoff double to Nick Moresi. Robles fielded a comebacker from Kevin Carkeek and caught Moresi straying too far off second. He was tagged out in a rundown for the first out.

Pinch hitter Collin DeLome flied out and Jordan Parraz grounded out to second to end things. It was Robles’ fourth save.

Eric Krebs (3-1) got with the win, despite surrendering Salem’s only run in the seventh.

Watson turned in his best start of the year but didn’t factor in the decision. The left-hander scattered three hits and threw six scoreless innings, the second time he’s put up all zeroes in a game.

Romak helped him out of a second-inning jam, throwing out Tim Torres trying to score from second on a Carkeek single to right. Romak’s throw arrived first and Torres tried unsuccessfully to bowl over catcher Kris Watts. It was Romak’s first outfield assist this season.

Watson didn’t need any more help after that. He matched a season-high with seven strikeouts, doing so for the third time in his last four starts.

“It happens, I guess,” Watson said. “Obviously I’m not a power pitcher. I’m not Roger Clemens out there, blowing it by bats. I’m out there just trying to pound strike zone.”

In his last five starts, Watson is 2-1 with a 2.48 ERA and 28 strikeouts to six walks. He has allowed two or fewer earned runs in 10 of his 16 starts this season.

De Los Santos went 3-for-4, stole three bases and scored Lynchburg’s run in the first inning. He also made a nice stab at short on a hard-hit ball up the middle in the eighth, flipping it to second for a force out to get the Hillcats out of a bases-loaded jam unscathed.

Pitching, hitting and fielding — Lynchburg seems to be doing everything.

Said Durham: “It’s just kind of clicking right now.”

NOTES: Negrych went 2-for-3 with an RBI, extending his team-best hitting streak to 16 games. He also committed his 19th error of the season in the third inning. … Salem starter Casey Hudspeth struck out six and gave up one run on six hits in seven innings, getting a no decision. ... The announced attendance was 5,955, Lynchburg’s biggest home crowd of the season.