51s don’t blame park for pitching miseries

Cashman Field has long been known as one of the best hitter's ballparks in the Pacific Coast League, and the 51s' 21-4 loss to Portland there Sunday did little to diminish that notion.

But the launching pad -- which measures 328 feet down the lines but is 433 feet to center -- can't entirely account for how poorly Las Vegas has pitched this season.

A year after compiling a 4.65 ERA and leading the PCL with a franchise-record 11 shutouts, the 51s (49-54) have the highest ERA in the league, at 6.09, and have allowed the most hits (1,147), walks (400), runs (693) and earned runs (604).

Las Vegas, which got a strong outing from starter Marc Rzepczynski in Monday's 5-3 victory over Portland, has allowed at least 15 runs in six games and at least 10 in 23.

"This year's been kind of a nightmare, and (Sunday) definitely topped it," Las Vegas pitching coach Dave LaRoche said. "The guys have worked hard and are trying to make fewer mistakes. But it just hasn't been our year."

Armed with an 18-8 record and a 4.51 ERA entering Monday, the 51s' bullpen has fared much better than the team's starters, who were 30-46 with a 7.28 ERA.

"There's been more role shifting this year than last year," said left-hander Brad Mills (7-4, 4.13 ERA), who is slated to start for the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday. "We've had so many relievers being thrust into the rotation. They're not used to that. You can't blame them. It's totally different.

"And we've had guys coming up and down from the big leagues" for rehabilitation assignments.

Still, LaRoche, in his third year as Toronto's Triple-A pitching coach, said it might simply be a matter of not having as much talent this year.

"You always have different personnel," he said. "We probably didn't have the quality starting pitching this year that we had last year. We lost more guys this year to the big leagues.

"But not to make excuses, we haven't thrown it well. We've been in a rut."

While several pitchers wouldn't blame their woes on the park, it's clear that Cashman Field has been a factor.

In fact, all six games in which Las Vegas has given up 15 runs or more this season were played at Cashman, and 17 of the 23 games in which it allowed at least 10 also took place at the 27-year-old park.

The 51s allow almost a run more per game at home, where their ERA is 6.54, than on the road, where it's 5.62.

"It's definitely harder to pitch here (at Cashman) than some other places in the (PCL)," Mills said. "The air's thin, for one. The infield's hard, so balls get through there pretty quick. And the dry air, too. The ball just cuts through it."

LaRoche and 51s pitchers Sean Henn (3-2, 3.31) and Steven Register (1-2, 5.98) agree the fast infield at Cashman can be frustrating, especially in front of home plate, where many balls take high hops and land in the outfield for hits.

"The main thing is that balls that bounce right into the ground are hits whereas at other fields they're outs, and that's how rallies start," Register said.

Henn said the poor quality of the infield and, in particular, the pitcher's mound stem from the poor quality of the grounds crew, which consists of two Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority employees, whereas many other parks employ a professional staff of up to eight people.

"The field doesn't get groomed as well as it should, but that's what we have to play with," Henn said. "You have to make adjustments. That's what this game is about. It sucks you have to do it to the mound, rather than hitter to hitter. But that's part of it.

"The old saying is 'If you don't like it, play better.' "

Contact reporter Todd Dewey at tdewey@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0354.