Opponent: Eugene Emeralds
When: 7:05 p.m.
Where: Everett Memorial Stadium
Radio: KSER (90.7 FM)
Pitchers: Eugene right-hander Clayton Hamilton (0-0, 11.42 ERA) vs. Everett left-hander Shawn Nottingham (7-1, 2.90)
Rough patch
In the first half of the season, Shawn Nottingham was virtually untouchable. The AquaSox starting pitcher was mowing down opposing batters better than John Deere and led the Northwest League in most pitching categories.
But in his last two starts the Everett ace has proven to be human, and Nottingham is hoping to turn things around when he faces Eugene tonight.
“I’m just going to try to keep the ball down in my next start and try to stay within myself,” Nottingham said. “I’m just going to stick to my guns and hopefully things will go right.”
Nottingham couldn’t have pitched much better in the first half of the season. In his first eight starts, the left-hander was 6-1 with a 1.65 ERA, walking 12 and striking out 54 in 492/3 innings. Among his accomplishments was striking out eight straight batters against Spokane in June.
But Nottingham’s numbers have taken a hit in his last two starts. On Aug. 2 he gave up four runs (three earned) in 61/3 innings, walking two and striking out three while picking up a no decision in a 6-5 loss at Boise.
Then on Monday, Nottingham was lit up for eight runs on eight hits and four walks in six innings, striking out three. He still picked up the win as Everett rallied for a 13-8 victory at Spokane.
“It was just one of those days that he didn’t have his stuff,” Everett pitching coach Marcos Garcia said about the start against Spokane. “His fastball was up in the zone and he wasn’t commanding his changeup as well as he has in the past. I thought he battled. He still gave us six innings and really he had one bad inning and that was the story of the game.”
As a result of his last two starts, Nottingham’s ERA has ballooned to 2.90.
“I guess I’ve just lost a little control of my fastball lately, and I guess I’ve been trying to do a little bit more than I can sometimes,” Nottingham said. “My arm actually felt pretty good when I got lit up for those eight runs the other day, but that kind of stuff happens. It was really the first time this year that I’ve struggled, but it’s going to happen to everybody and I’m not even going to worry about it. I’m going to go out there and try to do the same things I’ve been doing all year.
“I feel comfortable now,” Nottingham added. “I threw a couple of bullpen (sessions) since my last start, so I think I’ve got everything under control.”
Catcher position thinned: One player who did not return from Spokane with the team was catcher Rob Johnson.
Johnson was sent down to Peoria of the Arizona Rookie League to rehabilitate his injured elbow. Johnson suffered a sprained ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow while making a throw his first week with the team. He played sparingly since.
Johnson, the Seattle Mariners’ fourth-round pick in the 2004 draft out of the University of Houston, batted .234 with 17 runs, one homer and seven RBI in 20 games for the AquaSox.
Johnson’s departure leaves Everett with just two catchers on its roster, Omar Falcon and Brian Schweiger.
Nick Patterson, Herald Writer
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