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Ricardo Gomez 3-2, 4.50 ERA |
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Alay Soler 3-2, 5.33 ERA |
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The Barnstormers’ disabled list grew a little longer today. The team has deactived P Yamel Guevara. It’s the latest injury to deplete a pitching staff that is in disarray. At the moment, the Barnstormers have 18 pitchers under contract and six of them are on the DL.
The team is now turning to Ricardo Gomez to hold down a starting spot. It’s an interesting move because manager Von Hayes had been adamant that Gomez was better suited for the bullpen. But this is not a situation where everyone can be put in optimum positions.
Gomez has fared well as a starter: 2-1 with a 4.31 ERA in six games. His peripheral stats hold up well in this role. Opponents are only hitting .207 against him and he has 28 strikeouts in 31 1/3 innings. That’s dominance. No other pitcher on the staff makes hitters swing and miss as often as Gomez does.
So why haven’t the Barnstormers used Gomez as a starter all the time? There’s concern that since he relies heavily on two pitches, a fastball and slider, teams will be able to adjust during the second or third time through the order. There’s also concern he might wear down if he throws too many innings.
In the short-term, Gomez is the Barnstormers’ best bet as a fifth starter. He’s prone to giving up home runs — 13 in 70 innings — but he also racks up strikeouts and can be downright overpowering at times. The Barnstormers hope he can continue that success against Long Island tonight.
100 GAME MILESTONE:
The Barnstormers are 44-55 heading into Game No. 100. They have the worst record in the Atlantic League, one game behind York. Last year’s team was 47-53 through 100 games, so this club remains behind the 2007 pace.
Scoring summary:
FINAL: Ducks 6, Barnstormers 5
Stormers 1st: Gonzalez’s double scores Woods.
Lancaster leads 1-0.
Ducks 1st: Rose Jr.’s double scores Alfonzo and Logan.
Long Island leads 2-1.
Stormers 2nd: Gonzalez’s double scores Woods.
Game tied at 2.
Stormers 4th: Coffie hits solo home run.
Lancaster leads 3-2.
Ducks 4th: Sandora’s double scores Hidalgo. Haverbusch scores on wild pitch.
Long Island leads 4-3.
Stormers 5th: LeCroy hits solo home run.
Game tied at 4.
Ducks 5th: Alfonzo hits solo home run.
Long Island leads 5-4.
Stormers 8th: Munhall’s double scores Woods.
Game tied at 5.
Ducks 10th: Rolls’ single scores Everett
Long Island wins 6-5.
A lack of timely hitting doomed the Barnstormers again. They left 13 men on base and squandered a bases-loaded, no-out opportunity in the fifth inning. York has quietly won four in a row and has taken over first place in the Freedom Division. Lancaster is two games back.
