Opponent: Salem-Keizer Volcanoes
When: 7:05 p.m.
Where: Everett Memorial Stadium
Radio: KRKO (1380 AM)
Probable starters: Everett right-hander Mike Schilling (3-6, 4.59 ERA) vs. Salem-Keizer left-hander Ben Snyder (2-1, 2.41)
Rotation expansion
The Everett AquaSox pitching rotation is being inflated.
With newcomer Chris Tillman joining the rotation, Everett has chosen to go with a six-man rotation rather than clear someone out to make way for Tillman.
The right-handed Tillman will join fellow right-handers Mike Schilling, Natividad Dilone and Ricky Orta as well as lefties Steve Uhlmansiek and Tony Butler in the rotation. That gives Everett six starters instead of the standard five.
“It’s mostly because three of the original five guys (Schilling, Uhlmansiek and Dilone) have made every start this year,” Everett manager Dave Myers said. “We thought we’d just spread them out a little bit more, give them an extra day.”
The move to the six-man rotation won’t happen immediately. Dilone, who suffered a minor injury in has last start on Monday at Tri-City, is temporarily on the shelf as he recovers from the mishap. Dilone is 1-4 with a 3.71 ERA.
“It’ll be six once Dilone’s ready to pitch,” Myers said. “He rolled his ankle in Tri-City, so he’s going to miss a start. Eventually we’ll be back to a six-man rotation.”
In the meantime, Tillman will slot into the rotation Friday at Boise, in between Schilling and Uhlmansiek. Putting Tillman in that spot will give Uhlmansiek an extra day of rest, but everyone else will remain on their regular five-day schedule until Dilone returns.
Strange happenings: There were two unusual ground-rule doubles in Tuesday’s game, in which Everett lost 9-0 to Salem-Keizer.
First, in the top of the first inning, Salem-Keizer’s Matt Weston lined a ball high off the angled portion of the right-center wall, the ball bouncing into the homer porch without ever hitting the ground.
Then, in the top of the second, Salem-Keizer’s Ryan Rohlinger lined a ball to the right-center wall that went into the scoreboard, taking a chunk out of the yellow zero that was denoting the number of runs scored in that half inning.
Short hops: Everett first baseman Joe White was a late scratch from Wednesday’s lineup because of a sore foot. His place was taken by Manelik Pimentel. White, who went into Wednesday’s play leading the Northwest League in both on-base percentage (.446) and walks (45), was listed as day-to-day by Myers. … Several VIPs have been in town for the series. They included Everett owner Peter A. Carfagna and AquaSox senior vice president Pete E. Carfagna, in town from their native Cleveland, as well as Salem-Keizer owner/Northwest League secretary Jerry Walker.
Nick Patterson, Herald writer
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