The odd horseshoe shape of the visiting clubhouse at The Diamond meant Rick Burleson had to convene a rather terse pregame meeting in the dugout.
By BRIAN GOLDEN
Valley press Staff Writer
LAKE ELSINORE - For the second straight year, a Lancaster JetHawks pitcher has packed his bags for Lake Elsinore - and ended up in Class AA.
Chris Beck was informed Monday that he will fly out of Los Angeles today to join the Memphis Chicks of the Southern league.
Beck will rejoin John Thompson, who was promoted earlier this month.
"They were both with the Memphis workout group for all of spring training," said JetHawks pitching coach Jim Slaton. "A lot of times when a guy is demoted he's pretty angry about it, but they both handled it really well."
Beck was 0-1 in two starts with Lancaster, allowing 18 hits and eight earned runs in 11 innings pitched.
On the JetHawks' first visit to Lake Elsinore last season, right-hander Bob Worley became the first Lancaster player promoted to Class AA.
Beck was scheduled to pitch Thursday's game in San Jose.
His departure opens a spot just when two Lancaster pitchers on the disabled list are ready to return to active duty.
Slaton said pitchers Damaso Marte and Rafael Rivera each threw for five minutes on the side without pain Monday.
They'll both work off the mound today, and, if there are no complications, each could throw 30 pitches in Thursday's game at San Jose.
Touted pitching prospect Jeff Farnsworth could finally be headed to Lancaster this weekend.
Farnsworth, the Mariners' second-round draft selection last June who developed shoulder stiffness late in spring training, is scheduled to throw five innings today in the Seattle Mariners' camp in Peoria, Ariz.
"If he gets through it O.K., he could meet us in Lancaster and be activated Sunday," Slaton said.
Farnsworth was on schedule to pitch opening night before his injury.
The meeting
The odd horseshoe shape of the visiting clubhouse at The Diamond meant Rick Burleson had to convene a rather terse pregame meeting in the dugout.
The Lancaster manager let his team know again how dissatisfied he is with their defense.
"It's the only part of our team that I've really been disappointed with so far," Burleson said. "We're 6-5 and every one of our losses has been by one run.
"We're giving teams too many outs."
Tinoco ailing
Outfielder Luis Tinoco is scheduled to undergo a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examination on his right shoulder in Riverside Friday.
Tinoco has been bothered by a sore shoulder since the beginning of spring training. The Venezuelan native is believed to have suffered the injury in winter ball.
If the MRI confirms a torn labum, as the JetHawks fear, it would require season-ending surgery.
Kim returns
Yuni Kim was back in the lineup after being hit on the left hand with a pitch Saturday night.
The 25-year-old rookie from Kobe, Japan has had Yuni-versal appeal so far in the California League season.
The JetHawks outfielder is second in the league with four home runs and 13 RBI, and ranks sixth in batting with a .405 average.
Dusty Wathan is right behind Kim, at .382.
Tonight's game
Aaron Scheffer (9-0, 7.36 ERA) will open the three-game series in San Jose against the Giants tonight at 7:05.
Eric Morgan (1-0, 2.38) will start Wednesday's game, with Marte and Rivera sharing Thursday's duties.
Today will be a long day for Lancaster.
The club drove home from Lake Elsinore Monday night, and will turn right around and board the bus for the six-hour trip to San Jose at 9 a.m.