Big innings continue to doom JetHawks

Over the last 15 games, in which the JetHawks have gone 7-8, Lancaster has allowed 17 innings of three or more runs. Eight of those innings have been for four or more and two were eight spots.

"It makes it awful tough to win ball games when you give up runs in bunches like that," JetHawks manager Rick Burleson said after he watched his team surrender six runs in an 11-3 loss Friday at Rancho Cucamonga.

The reasons for the big innings, according to Burleson, are pretty simple - inconsistency both on the pitching mound and in the field.

Although starter John Thompson struggled Friday, allowing eight runs - five of which were earned - in 1 1/3 innings, he wasn't the only one to blame. Thompson was lifted after allowing only four hits, along with his three walks, one hit batter and one wild pitch.

Two outfield errors, one charged to right fielder Matt Sachse and one to left fielder Luis Tinoco, helped the Quakes' cause. That came two nights after the JetHawks had four misplayed balls in the outfield in the eightrun fourth inning of an 11-5 loss to Modesto.

Throwing zeroes

Reliever Kevin Gryboski has been the JetHawks' hottest pitcher as the temperatures have started to heat up.

Gryboski, who was the winning pitcher in both of Lancaster's victories Sunday and Thursday, improved his record to 4-5 and has seen his ERA dip to 2.93. In fact, the 6-foot-5, 220-pound righthander is the only JetHawks pitcher with an ERA currently under 3.00 and has pitched shutout ball over his last 9 1/3 innings, spanning three games.

"I've been going out and getting ahead of hitters," Gryboski said. "I've been throwing the first pitch for a strike and then making them swing at my pitch."

Gryboski allowed only one hit while striking out three in the final three innings of Thursday's 7-5 extra-inning win at Rancho Cucamonga. On Sunday, he held Visalia to only two hits and three walks while striking out five in 4 2/3 outstanding innings.

The last time Gryboski allowed a run to cross the plate was in a July 26 scorefest against Lake Elsinore. Gryboski ended up taking the loss after allowing three runs, two of which were earned, on three hits in a rough eighth inning.

Before that game, he had a string of 12 consecutive innings over five games without allowing an earned run. During that stretch, he allowed one unearned run on nine hits and seven walks while striking out nine.

Under the knife

Lancaster pitcher Brian Sweeney, who was the winning pitcher in the 1998 Cal League All-Star Game, had surgery on his right shoulder Saturday to repair a torn labrum. JetHawks trainer Troy McIntosh said the surgery was successful and Sweeney should be able to resume pitching by the start of spring training.

Sweeney injured the shoulder in the weight room after a frustrating performance against Visalia on May 31. The right-hander allowed six runs in two-thirds of an inning of relief and overexerted himself working out following the game.

Sweeney performed a number of different roles for the JetHawks this year, including spot starting and middle relief. He had a 6-0 record with a 3.63 ERA when he was placed on the disabled list June 21.

Banged up

Friday night's fourth-inning collision between relief pitcher John Kelly and catcher Francisco Santiesteban fortunately did not result in any serious injuries.

McIntosh said Kelly was sore pretty much all over and Santiesteban suffered a mild concussion, but neither are expected to miss any significant playing time.

Lights out

Friday's game at The Epicenter almost wasn't.

At approximately 3:15 p.m., all electricity to the ballpark went out. According to sources in the Rancho Cucamonga front office staff, the Quakes were told it could take three to four hours at least to repair, which would encroach dangerously close to the 7:15 p.m. start time.

Fortunately, that was a large overestimate, as power returned shortly before 4 p.m.