KANNAPOLIS – It was double trouble for the Hickory Crawdads Tuesday night in
Fieldcrest Cannon Stadium. The
Piedmont Boll Weevils pounded out five doubles and Greg Kubes sca ttered six hits in a
solid 7-0 South Atlantic League victory.
The Weevils made the horsehide a
frequent visitor to the left field corner in a four-run second inning. And that’s
really all Kubes needed. Once he gets through six outs, it’s clear sailing, according
to his catcher and Kubes himself.
‘‘When he gets past
those two, he’s usually breezing,’’ said backstop Jeremy Salazar.
‘‘I always seem to find
my groove in the third,’’ Kubes, a 6-foot-6 lefty said. ‘‘I just get
into the game more.’’
And it always helps to have a big
lead by that time. Hickory starter John Grabow was ripped early and never recovered. The
Weevils (32-28) finished with 10 hits, something interim manager Jerry Martin can live
with.
‘‘Every time I looked
up, it seemed like we were hitting another double down the left field line,’’ he
said.
Jorge Padilla started it all in
the second by doubling home Carlos Duncan with the first run. Two-out doubles by Uriel
Casillas and Jason Johnson made it 3-0 and Johnson scored after Hickory botched a throw
from the outfield on Alex Fajardo’s single.
‘‘Those two-out RBI were
big,’’ said Martin of the second-inning explosion, ‘‘but the big story
to me was Kubes’ pitching. And we didn’t make errors.’’
Kubes (8-3) faced a strong hitting
ballclub, sporting a .409 slugging percentage. But the Crawdads (29-30) never threatened
after Ben Risinger reached third in the first. After giving up a one-out double in the
second, Kubes set down 10 straight and 16 of 18.
Hickory’s 3-4-5 hitters were
monsters coming in. Rico Washington, J.J. Davis and Jovanny Sosa had combined for 38
homers, 35 doubles and 121 RBIs. Against Kubes, they were a Charlie Brown-like 1-for-11.
‘‘We busted the big guys
in and established the fastball inside and then worked outside,’’ said Kubes.
‘‘I was getting better and better but my arm got tired a little.’’
Kubes’ mission was to go as
long as he could. The Weevils’ bullpen was a bit overworked, especially after using
five pitchers the previous night in a doubleheader split.
‘‘The bullpen had thrown
a lot of innings and I wanted to give them a little break,’’ Kubes said of his
seven-inning stint. ‘‘I wish I could’ve gone more.’’
Jeremy Wedel entered with a 7-0
lead. The newest Weevil addition never missed a beat in the eighth and ninth, recording
four strikeouts and keeping the shutout intact.
‘‘We wanted (the
shutout),’’ said Salazar. ‘‘We have the best pitching staff in the
nation so we wanted to keep the (2.61) ERA down too. There was something to shoot
for.’’
The blonde-haired Wedel just
grinned and said there was no pressure.
‘‘I just wanted to throw
strikes,’’ he said. ‘‘If they hit a homer, they’ve got to hit
seven of them to tie the game. I was very comfortable in that situation.’’
While the pitchers were doing
their usual job on the hill, the hitters were also coming through. Alejandro Giron, the
Weevils’ hottest hitter (.320) boomed a solo homer in the fifth and Salazar scored in
the sixth after his (what else?) double down the left field line and Casillas’ RBI
single. The final run came in the seventh when Giron walked and eventually scored on
Padilla’s two-out single.
Padilla (hitting .200) and
Casillas (.221), the Nos. 7 and 9 hitters, respectively, both went 2-for-4 with two RBIs
and a run scored. No one needed a night like that more than Padilla, a 19-year-old bonus
baby, who has struggled mightily.
‘‘I’ve been trying
to get him to slow down the lower half of his body instead of jumping on the
ball,’’ said Martin. ‘‘If he stays on the ball, the kid’s got a
lot of potential.’’
Padilla was smiling and signing
autographs afterward as the fans poured down from the stands to greet him.
‘‘I was real relaxed
tonight and that’s why I got those hits,’’ Padilla said.
Martin is now 2-1 while standing
in for Ken Oberkfell, who is in Philadelphia spending time with the Phillies.
‘‘There’s a lot
more to think about than coaching first base,’’ said the personable hitting
coach. ‘‘I’ve enjoyed it so far. I like coaching third base.’’
Except for that crick in his neck
from jerking around to watch those balls PAGE009 head toward the left field corner.
But after such a superbly played
game, that’s something he can live with.
NOTES: Shortstop Ambiorix
Reyes was shipped to extended spring training after the game. He will be replaced by Buzz
Hannahan, who comes from extended spring training. ... Since May 8, Giron is hitting .350.
His homer was his sixth. ... The Weevils pitchers have struck out at least 10 batters in
19 games. Kubes and Wedel combined for 11 Tuesday night. ... Piedmont is 18-7 when it
scores first. ... It was the Weevils’ fifth shutout of the year. ... Derrick Turnbow
(5-4, 3.84) will pitch tonight in the final game of the four-game series. Asheville comes
in for games Thursday and Friday. |
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