Lineup changes jump starts Phoenix, hot pitching continues July 2, 1998
Phoenix, AZ(AP) - After the injury of Defiant League-superstar David
Justice, and given the poor leadoff hitting of Shannon Stewart,
Phoenix GM Patrick Bridges decided it was time to shake up his
lineup. In an effort to jump start his team, Bridges moved Stewart to
#2, moved Ray Lankford and Pat Meares into alternating the leadoff
role, and called Bob Abreu and Maxwell Miestro into the lineup to add
youth, speed, and a fresh perspective.
Apprenetly it's worked. The Gila Monsters, still playing without
superstars David Justice and Wilson Alvarez, have won 8 straight games
to extend their Data division lead to 12 games. They have also
improved their record to 52-25, the second-best record in the game,
behind league rival Vero Beach. The Monsters have gotten there with an
equal combination of hitting and pitching.
The Gila Monster's batters, after staring the season with atrocious
hitting, have caught fire, raising the team's OPS to almost .800
(.783). The Gila Monsters have also scored more than 100 more runs
than their opponents this season. This can only improve when David
Justice rejoins the team in 7 to 10 days, after a short stint on the
DL.
In addition to veterans like Bagwell, Lankford, Mondesi, Justice, and
Sprague, the Monsters recent rookie callups have been doing hitting
very well. Since their callups, Abreu and Miestro have played like the
stars they are expected to become. Bob Abreu is, in seventeen at-bats,
batting .471 and slugging 1.059, with three home runs and a stolen
base, for a total OPS of over 1.500. Likewise Miestro, in fourteen at-
bats, is batting .357 and slugging 1.143, also with three home runs,
for a total OPS of 1.543.
Even without Wilson Alvarez holding down the number 2 spot in tbe
rotation, the Gila Monster's staring pitchers have also had
outstanding seasons. 1997 Cy Young winner Shane Reynolds leads the
team with 12 wins before the all-star break and a 3.17 ERA. Pedro
Astacio complements him well with his 10 wins, and a 3.09 ERA. Chan Ho
Park, who continues to hold (Aaron) weiner roasts with some
regularity, leads the team's starters with an ERA 2.78. Steve Avery
and Greg Swindell, who fills in for the injured Wilson Alvarez,
continue to pitch extremely well.
The bullpen also is getting the job done for the Monsters. Relievers
Danny Jackson, Darren Holmes, Jack Birrer, Ron Blazier, and Omar Daal
all have ERAs below 3.50. In addition, closer Jeff Nelson has been
nothing short of outstanding. Nelson, in 22 appearances, has a 0.83
ERA, 13 saves, 3 holds, 19 strikeouts, and has yet to give up a home
run to an opponent. Batters are batting a miniscule .184 against
Nelson.
Wilson Alvarez and David Justice are expected back with the team in
two to three weeks, although Raul Mondesia and Ron Blazier may make a
short trips to the DL if their nagging injuries don't heal.
