Norrito pitches on short notice; P-Nats lose

By Robert Daski

Published: July 23, 2008

Potomac Nationals pitcher Joe Norrito only learned Tuesday evening he would start Wednesday’s game against the Kinston Indians instead of right-hander Zack Segovia. Segovia was scratched because there is a plan to promote him to Double-A Harrisburg.
Norrito’s counterpart, left-hander Kelvin De La Cruz was making his Carolina League debut Wednesday and looked more prepared to pitch.
De La Cruz allowed three runs on five hits, walked two and struck out six in five and a third innings as Kinston topped Potomac 6-4 on Wednesday to win its first game of the four-game series.
Potomac scored in only the second and sixth innings. Aaron Seuss scored in the second and Dee Brown and Trevor Lawhorn came home four innings later.
“We hit some balls decent,” Potomac manager Randy Knorr said. “When you don’t see a guy, you’ve got to try to figure out what he has.”
De La Cruz brings impressive credentials to the Carolina League. He went 8-4 with a 1.69 ERA at Low-A Lake County, recorded 96 strikeouts and walked 34 in 95 and two-thirds innings.
He had a 3.98 ERA in 12 starts for short-season Mahoning Valley and was 6-0, 0.86 in eight road starts.
“He pitched well,” said Potomac left fielder Dee Brown, who struck out and bounced into a double play in his first two at-bats against the Kinston starter. “He went out there like he belongs here.”
De La Cruz certainly had an objective to pitch inside against right-handed batters. Some of his inside pitches were called strikes and another was popped up by Seuss and secured by Indians second baseman Niuman Romero.
“He made some good pitches throwing fastballs in,” Knorr said. “When you’ve never seen a guy, you don’t have a good read on his fastball. He got in on a few hitters. He did a nice job coming inside.”
While De La Cruz’s first inning troubles came via a walk and an error by left fielder Nick Weglarz, Norrito’s came courtesy of five straight singles and a wild pitch that allowed Kinston to lead 3-0.
Weglarz scored Kinston’s fourth run in the third on Jared Goedert’s double. Goedert advanced to third base on Carlos Rivero’s single and scored on Romero’s sacrifice fly.
John Drennen’s fourth inning home run gave the Indians a 6-1 lead.
The fourth inning was Norrito’s last. He left after allowing eight hits, walking two and striking out none.
“There is a preparation starters do four days in between,” Knorr said. “He didn’t get a chance to do that. He wasn’t as sharp as he normally was. In his role, he’s got to know that could possibly happen.”
Jack Spradlin kept the Nationals (18-13 second half, 60-41 overall) in the game, tossing three and two-thirds scoreless innings.
His defense turned a fifth inning double play when shortstop Dan Lyons dove and stopped a ball headed for center field. Lyons rolled the ball to second baseman Michael Martinez to get Romero at second before Martinez threw to Brian Finegan for the out at first.
The twin killing was one of four Potomac turned.
“I was trying to throw to contact and let the hitters get themselves out,” Spradlin said. “That was my main goal.”
Potomac’s offense failed to take advantage of Spradlin’s outing or that of Josh Wilkie, who allowed no runs while pitching the final inning and a third. The Nationals put only one hitter on base in the final three and a third innings.
“It was just one of those days where we didn’t have it,” Brown said.
ROGELSTAD MAKES OLYMPIC TEAM
Former Potomac infielder Matt Rogelstad has made Canada’s Olympic team. He is supposed to arrive in Toronto on July 28 for team activities. Canada will play a four-game exhibition series against the United States Aug. 1-4 in North Carolina before departing for Beijing.
Rogelstad is hitting .355 with six RBI through nine games at Harrisburg.