No matter how you spell it, pitcher befuddles Rainiers
RYAN DIVISH; The News Tribune
It is tough to determine which is the most difficult – pronouncing the last name of Las Vegas starting pitcher Marc Rzepczynski, spelling Rzepczynski, or getting a hit against him.
On Wednesday night at Cheney Stadium, it appeared that getting a hit off the pitcher with the consonant-filled surname was the most difficult for the Tacoma Rainiers in a 4-1 loss to the 51s.
Rzepczynski – pronounced zep-CHIN-ski – made things tough on the Rainiers, working 52/3 innings, allowing two hits and striking out nine Tacoma hitters.
“He got his offspeed pitches over the plate and he had a pretty good slider, or slurve, whatever you want to call it,” Rainiers manager Daren Brown said.
The breaking pitch was important for Rzepczynski, since he doesn’t have an overpowering fastball. Instead, he relies on location, a side-arm delivery and a fair amount of deception. But the slider was tough and he wasn’t picky about who he would throw it to – right- or left-handed hitters.
“He used it on everybody,” Brown said.
Rzepczynski used it effectively on Mariners catcher Kenji Johjima, who went 0-for-3 against him with three strikeouts in possibly his final rehab start before rejoining the Seattle Mariners.
Tacoma got a ground single up the middle off Rzepczynski in the first inning from Michael Saunders and a line-drive single to left from Prentice Redman in the sixth for the two hits off him.
Rzepczynski did walk three hitters, and after Redman singled, he later walked Jeff Clement to put runners on first and second with two outs. At 94 pitches, Las Vegas manager Mike Basso had seen enough and went to the bullpen, calling on Bryan Bullington, who got Chris Shelton, the Rainiers’ leading hitter, to ground out to end the inning.
“We really weren’t able string anything together at the plate,” Brown said.
But Las Vegas wasn’t exactly crushing the ball, either. The 51s got a run in the first off Tacoma starter Chris Seddon when Joe Inglett led off the game with a single and later scored on Randy Ruiz’s double to left. Las Vegas tacked on another run in the second as Michael Barrett doubled and scored on Jonathan Diaz’s single.
After giving up the two early runs, Seddon settled in and held Las Vegas scoreless over the next four innings.
“I thought he gave us a chance,” Brown said.
The chance for a win got better when Saunders cut the deficit to 2-1 on a solo homer to right off Bullington in the eighth. But the Rainiers bullpen gave up two runs in the top of the ninth to make the comeback chances a little more difficult.
Tacoma managed four hits on the night and struck out 12 times.
“We just didn’t swing the bat very well tonight,” Brown said.
Short hops
Brown said he hadn’t heard whether pitcher
Ryan Rowland-Smith would be suspended for hitting
Angel Sanchez in the head with a pitch and being ejected Tuesday. “I’m sure it will be in the next day or two if something happens,” Brown said. … Brown did stick up for Rowland-Smith and the situation, saying he didn’t think there was intent to hit Sanchez. “I think just one got away from him,” he said. … With his next double,
Bryan LaHair will tie the Tacoma franchise record of 94 career doubles, which is held by
Dan Rohrmeier (1997-98). … Bullington, the first pick of the 2002 draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates, got a scare when he shattered the bat of Tacoma’s
Mike Morse with an inside pitch. The jagged barrel of the bat flew straight at Bullington along with the bouncing ball. Bullington fielded the ball as the bat hit him in the ribs and threw Morse out. He stayed in the game.
On tap
The Rainiers will meet Las Vegas again at 7 p.m. at Cheney Stadium. Right-hander
Gaby Hernandez (3-6, 5.12 ERA) will start for Tacoma, while the 51s will send out left-hander
David Purcey (2-1, 3.79 ERA). The game will be broadcast on 850-AM.
Ryan Divish: 253-597-8483
ryan.divish@thenewstribune.com
