By: Joe Krasnowski
EUGENE, OR – In the wake of Dylan Cumming and Seth Lonsway’s — albeit spaced out — promotions, Eugene didn’t feel the need to immediately promote a new star to fill their most consistent pitcher’s voids.
They weren’t necessarily counting on someone else in their rotation to elevate their game. Joe Whitman — the team’s second-rounder from last year — was a good option, but unproven after making his High-A debut just last week.
Yes, other moves were made, with the promotion of Jonah Cox, and relievers Trent Harris and Tommy Kane. But the starting pitching staff — a group taxed even more with a recent injury to stalwart Hayden Wynja — remained a bit of a mystery going forward.
The issue was only raised when the squad began the second half with three straight losses, the stakes heightened with each loss and chance dwindling down.
Simply put, if Eugene is to succeed in the second half, the starting pitching would have to key most of their victories — among the other important margins the team would necessitate.
After two straight home victories, the latter of which came Wednesday night with an 11-2 win over Tri-City, Eugene’s staff appears to have found its footing.
Indeed, it was Manuel Mercedes’ six innings of work that laid a solid bedrock for Eugene’s offense to settle in.
The right-hander worked his power-sinker into righties while throwing a plethora of first-pitch strikes. He allowed just one hit, a fourth-inning single, and walked just two. The three base runners he allowed were good for a season-low.
The outing came as a continuation of strong starts for Mercedes as the righty had bent — allowing nine hits but just two runs his last time out — but certainly not broke.
Still, it was encouraging for the 21-year-old Santo Domingo native to throw as well as he did, adding his best start in what he looks to be a second-half revelation.
Underpinning his outing was Eugene’s steady yet altogether timid offense. After the team put three runs on the board in the first, the Ems’ next run came in the fifth on a Quinn McDaniel homerun.
Tri-City’s two first-inning errors certainly aided the cause as well. Two misplayed grounders set the table for Rodolfo Nolasco and Matt Higgins who both added knocks in the three-run frame.
With how Eugene’s pitching staff was throwing, four runs was all it would need.
The five-run sixth, keyed by McDaniel’s second homer of the night, was more than enough.
The nine-run lead Eugene took into the seventh made Daniel Blair’s outing — the right-hander has allowed eight runs over his last two outings — relatively mundane.
Still, recent history suggests that Eugene will, at some point, need someone to fill Cumming and Lonsway’’s role near the top of the rotation. Few teams can make the playoffs without at least a couple of legitimate frontline options. Too often in their recent failures, the Ems have been short on elite-level pitching.
But for one night, the ever-present issues seemed miniscule — drowned out by a string of zeros.
Short hops
There is a very good offensive player on the way (per sources).
McDaniel’s two home runs gave him the team lead with seven bombs — for two innings, then Alex Suarez tied him back up.
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