But Razor Shines was still counting the Intimidators’ opening game of the second half of the South Atlantic League season as a victory.

Sort of.

It was a “victory” because Shines and his coaches had succeeded in doing what they’re here for — sending players up.

The Chicago White Sox throttled Shines’ pitching staff after moving starting pitchers Dennis Ulacia and Kris McWhirter, along with closer Joe Valentine, to Winston-Salem. You’d think Shines would be feeling sorry for himself and his team.

Not quite.

“That’s their purpose, to get to the big leagues,” Shines explained after using five pitchers against the Bats. “Once they develop, we move them up to a higher level. And when kids move to the next level, they’ll send us some more and we’ll develop those kids.”

On Thursday, Dan Mozingo, a reliever, developed into a starter. And he carried a no-hitter into the fifth.

But Mozingo gave up a single and a double to open the frame and when he loaded the bases, Shines replaced him with Steve Madril. Two runs did cross, however, before Kannapolis got out of the inning.

“Mozingo has been a reliever all year,” Shines pointed out. “The most he’s thrown is 30-some pitches. Tonight, he was 60-something. Obviously, he lost a little bit of his effectiveness. But you can’t ask for any more.”

Madril pitched a solid three innings before being replaced in the eighth by Rocky Hughes. He couldn’t get that third out and Shines went through Curt Young, who just joined the team, and Heath Phillips before the final out was recorded. By that time, the Bats had added two more runs.

Despite the call-ups, it’s not pitching that is doing in the Intimidators right now. It’s hitting. Rather, the lack of it.

In the last four losses, Kannapolis has been shut out in three of them. Thursday, there was no bunching of hits as six different players had one apiece.

So when the Intimidators loaded the bases in the sixth and when they had men on second and third in the eighth, no one came through in the clutch.

“As for not getting the big hit, that happens,” said Shines. “We couldn’t get anything going. All the credit goes to their pitching staff.”

On a night when the Intimidators honored the Negro Leagues, Jason Anderson might as well have been Satchel Paige. He threw just 79 pitches in seven innings of brilliant work, giving up five hits and striking out six.

After a torrid start to the season, Kannapolis has fallen off. It is just 6-5 in its last 11 games and is now 0-1 in the second half after finishing the first half 47-22.

“We like winning and we’ve done a pretty good job,” said Shines, who hinted that those three pitchers might not be the last to leave Fieldcrest Cannon Stadium.

“There are kids here who deserved to be promoted.”

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NOTES: Shines said starters Jim Sweeney and Corwin Malone will be joined in the rotation by Alec Hollifield, who was moved down from Winston-Salem. ... Newcomer Curt Young saw his first action on the mound last night and was quickly yanked by Shines after six pitches. .... Mozingo is now 5-2. ... Greensboro has won five of eight games against Kannapolis this season. ... The Intimidators remain home through Tuesday.