(AP) WASHINGTON, DC--Washington may not be splitting hairs recently, but
they're certainly splitting doubleheaders.
Yesterday, the Washington Sea Dogs took some of their own medicine from
the Duluth Bjork, dropping the first game 2-0 after several missed
opportunities, but rebounded in the second game, winning 6-1 to insure at
least a series split.
"We're not really worried," said centerfielder Mariano Duncan. "I mean,
we're 7-3 since the All-Star Break, so it's hard to be down on what's
happening."
The first game was mostly Chris Gott's game, as he went six innings and
gave up only six hits and a walk to notch his eighth win of the season.
Though Hallony gets the headlines, Gott has a 2.62 ERA in 23 starts.
"Gott was just fantastic tonight," manager Aaron Weiner said. "He's
largely underrated."
Shawn Estes went only three innings for the loss. Estes, who has only one
quality start in his last three, gave up only two runs in the three
innings, but threw 81 pitches, only 41 for strikes and allowed five hits
and three walks.
"I didn't have it today," said Estes. "I just wasn't throwing strikes,
and those guys were just sitting on my pitches."
Fred Smith, however, was dominant in the first game. After Estes left,
Smith pitched the five remaining innings, giving up only three hits and no
runs.
"Well, I've faced this lineup many times," said Smith, widely noted as
being a cerebral pitcher. "So I just sorta pitched it where I thought
they wouldn't hit it."
Frank Thomas got the scoring going for the Bjork in the top of the second
with his 20th homer of the season, a solo shot to left. Estes then
allowed a walk to Marc Newfield, gave up a single to Chad Curtis and Hugh
Coleman also walked before Estes got Mike Metcalfe to end the inning.
After the Sea Dogs went quietly, Duluth's Kevin Seitzer, Alex Rodriguez
and Thomas collected singles, and Newfield grounded into a double play to
score Seitzer from third. Estes would get out of the inning, but would be
pulled afterward.
"Two rallies in two innings with Shawn not throwing strikes - that did
it," Weiner said.
The second game was a little more attuned to the Sea Dogs' style against
Duluth. Newly acquired starter John Burkett had his second straight
strong start, going again eight innings, giving up only one unearned run
in eight innings to earn his second straight win.
"Like I said, I feel a new sense of confidence pitching in this rotation,"
Burkett said. "It feels great to be doing this well, too."
Burkett, in two starts, has gone 2-0 in two starts with the Sea Dogs,
giving up only three runs, two earned, in 16 innings.
"It's a great feeling to have a guy like John Burkett pitching after
Estes," Weiner said. "Burkett's a guy who you know will throw strikes,
and he worked very, very fast."
In fact, Burkett, in eight innings, threw only 76 pitches, 58 of them
strikes.
"I was placing my fastball well tonight," Burkett said, "and when I do
that, it's almost elementary for me to throw strikes."
When asked why he didn't let Burkett finish the game, Weiner said that
while he's earned it, he needed to give the bullpen work.
"Paul Kilgus needed to go into a situation like this, a no-pressure
situation," Weiner said of the middle reliever with a 8.42 ERA. "He needs
to get some work in and some confidence back. He hasn't pitched well
since coming over here either."
Barry Larkin, who committed an error in the first inning to allow the
Bjork their only run, atoned by hitting a two-run homer in the first
inning and drove in another run on a sacrifice fly in the seventh inning.
Washington (53-43), with the split, remains two games ahead of the
Springfield Atoms in the wild-card race. The Atoms split a pair with the
Punxatawney Groundhogs yesterday.
"As long as we're in first place," first baseman J. T. Snow said, "we're
gonna be very confident about our chances for going to the playoffs."
Notes and Quotes
"I never thought I'd say this, but I'm rooting for Punxatawney this week."
---John Burkett
* * *
Washington has now held first place for the wild card for over three weeks
now.
"Yeah, but that's not a long time, in the scheme of things," pitcher Ben
McDonald said. "We're going to play like we're in the hunt with Phoenix
and not Springfield."
Washington currently trails Phoenix by 12 1/2 games.
"But if we're trying to beat Phoenix," McDonald said, "we're shooting for
lots of victories. Which is the right kind of mindset."
