Nick Renault 4-6, 6.30 ERA		Aaron Fultz 2-3, 5.18 ERA

Over the next three games, the Barnstormers’ pitching staff will be put to the test. With Shane Youman and Eric Ackerman out, the team is down to 11 available arms. The next three starts will be made by Nick Renault, Erik Dessau and Chris Steinborn.

This illustrates life in the Atlantic League.Two weeks ago, it looked like the Barnstormers had really good depth on the mound. They’ve lost three starters since then, including ace Josh Hall. So the immediate direction of the rotation is being steered by a guy with a 6.30 ERA, a guy with one start above the Frontier League and a guy who was a combined 9-23 with a 6.12 ERA over the previous two seasons.

All three of these pitchers are capable of excelling in this league. Renault has put together some dazzling outings. He has taken a no-hitter into the sixth inning twice and has five quality starts in 15 appearances. The Barnstormers need the Renault who pitched six strong innings against Somerset last week instead of the one who was 0-4 with a 13.75 ERA from June 30 to July 26.

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	Ricardo Gomez 3-2, 4.57 ERA		Jim Magrane 4-8, 5.88 ERA

The Barnstormers’ latest offensive funk can be traced to a long-lamented problem: poor lineup depth. While Von Hayes has shuffled different guys into different spots recently, the bottom third of the order remains the issue. It’s simply not producing.

Over the past six games, the 7-through-9 slots are a combined 12-for-68 with 26 strikeouts. That equates to a .176 average. The Barnstormers have scored 15 runs during that time and have scored more than three runs in a game only once.

When any portion of the lineup is striking out twice as often as it is delivering hits, this is a giant impediment to offensive success. The Barnstormers have been basically giving away nine to 12 at-bats each game, which is roughly three innings worth of possible offense.

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	Jason Scobie 1-1, 3.20 ERA		Brian Adams 8-5, 5.08 ERA

In case you missed it Sunday night, the Barnstormers completed a merry-go-round of transactions. They traded P Matt Sweeney to Bridgeport in exchange for C Brian Munhall. Ultimately, the team made two moves designed to upgrade their backup catching spot. They preferred Munhall over Manny Mejia, who was dealt to Newark on Friday.

Munhall, 28, has been Bridgeport’s starter for most of the season. The 6-0, 190-pound veteran batted .269 with five homers and 41 RBIs in 77 games. He’s a seven-year pro who spent most of his career in the Giants’ system with some experience at the Double-A and Triple-A levels.

Is he an upgrade over Mejia? Defensively, that appears to be the case and we know how manager Von Hayes feels about defense. Offensively, the two catchers look pretty similar. They both have on-base percentages in the .325 range and slugging percentages around .400.

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	Eric Ackerman 5-6, 4.42 ERA		Corey Thurman 6-6, 5.02 ERA

There is a numerical way to calculate what Matt LeCroy means to the Barnstormers. His statistics since returning from the disabled list on June 25, a span of 33 games, indicate he’s among the most valuable players in the league.

There is also the story beyond the numbers. LeCroy’s upbeat demeanor, veteran savvy and big-league confidence helped hold the clubhouse together during the rocky first half. The mood could have gotten awfully gloomy if he wasn’t around.

LeCroy’s on-field presence was felt again Saturday night. His game-tying homer in the ninth inning helped the Barnstormers rally for a win that kept them in sole possession of first place. Clutch hitting has been LeCroy’s forte. He’s batting .397 with runners in scoring position and had a walk-off homer in June.

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	Erik Dessau* 4-5, 4.65 ERA		Juan Padilla 0-0, 0.00 ERA

Manager Von Hayes has placed an emphasis on defense since the start of spring training. That’s part of the reason he released Dominick Ambrosini and signed Jarred Ball. It’s why the team moved Mike Woods from second base to left field and put Juan Francia at second base.

Has the philosophy worked? Not really. The Barnstormers never adequately replaced Ambrosini’s production. Ball hit .190 here. Francia batted .225 until he was put on the bench. Woods has been the best leadoff hitter in the league, but his bat is better suited for his original position. Lancaster’s offense ranks last in several categories.

With that background in mind, the trade of Manny Mejia to the Newark Bears Friday shouldn’t have been all that surprising. Mejia struggled defensively and newcomer David Castillo looks like a significant upgrade. The difference between this move and the others mentioned above is Castillo could also be a better hitter. He doesn’t strike out as often as Mejia and gets on base more.

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	Shane Youman 4-2, 5.48 ERA		Aaron Rakers 7-6, 4.64 ERA

The Barnstormers have made a four-player trade with Newark. They sent C Manny Mejia and a player to be named later to the Bears in exchange for P Matt Sweeney and P Steve Kent.

Newark has needed a catcher since John Pachot bolted for Mexico last month and the Barnstormers were less-than-enthralled with Mejia’s defensive skills. Add in the fact that Lancaster just lost Judd Songster, creating a hole in the bullpen, and this trade makes some sense.

Does it make enough sense? Let’s see.

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	Nick Renault 3-6, 6.69 ERA		Jim Magrane 4-7, 6.26 ERA

When the Barnstormers return to Clipper Magazine Stadium for their big series against York Friday night, they’ll have a new pitcher in their rotation. His name is Erik Dessau. He’s a 6-3, 212-pound righthander who has been acquired from the Frontier League’s Gateway Grizzlies in exchange for future considerations.

Dessau, 25, was 4-5 with a 4.65 ERA in 13 starts for the Grizzlies. This was his fourth season with the club and this year’s stats are actually his worst to date. The St. Louis native enjoyed greater success at that level in the past, including a 14-2 record and 3.07 ERA last season.

Career stats here.

The Barnstormers desperately needed another pitcher, preferably a starter. The team was down to 10 healthy arms. Dessau’s arrival will allow Lancaster to keep Yamel Guevara in the bullpen, where he has proven more effective. Dessau could start as soon as Saturday.

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	Eric Ackerman 4-6, 4.54 ERA		Josh Brey 5-0, 3.83 ERA

The off day came at an opportune time for the Barnstormers. After losing Josh Hall and Judd Songster in a two-day span, the team’s pitching staff was depleted and overworked. The bullpen in particular needed a rest.

Monday was Hall’s turn to start. Manager Von Hayes decided to skip that turn and go back to the top of the rotation. That means Eric Ackerman pitches tonight and Jason Scobie goes Wednesday. The off day allowed the team to keep Yamel Guevara in the bullpen — for now — and provided more time to search for a potential fifth starter.

The Barnstormers are riding a four-game winning streak into an interesting series. They play the next three at Somerset’s Commerce Bank Ballpark, which — as avid fans know — has replaced the Sandcastle as Lancaster’s house of horrors.

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The Barnstormers are 16 games into the second half and alone in first place. They’re 9-7 and one game ahead of York in the crowded Freedom Division. Lancaster’s four-game sweep of Newark gave everyone reason to believe the home team might stay in this race.

Here are five reasons the Barnstormers may contend followed by five reasons they may not.

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	Nick Renault 3-6, 6.72 ERA		Pat Stanley 9-3, 3.79 ERA

Josh Hall is the quintessential Atlantic League story. The righthander came to the Barnstormers at a low point in his career. His confidence was down. His results with Double-A Harrisburg were terrible. He was in desperate need of a fresh start.

It happened in Lancaster. While many players decide to go home for the summer after being released from affiliated ball, Hall took the Zack Parker route. He signed with the Barnstormers almost immediately after getting cut by the Nationals. He went 6-3 with a 4.10 ERA in 13 starts and is now back in Triple-A with the Rockies.

While this league has its faults, and while the Barnstormers’ player procurement has become a two-year study in frustration, Hall’s progression is one of the things that makes coming to the ballpark every night worthwhile. It’s fun to see talented players get another shot.

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