EVERETT – Turns out Shawn Nottingham is human after all.
The Everett AquaSox starting pitcher, who spent the first month of the season as the Sandy Koufax of the Northwest League, suffered his first hiccup Tuesday night, and the AquaSox’s vaunted offense was unable to compensate in a 5-1 loss to the Yakima Bears.
An Everett Memorial Stadium crowd of 1,481 watched as Nottingham was upstaged by Yakima starter Garrett Mock, who befuddled the Everett bats in a nearly-flawless seven innings.
“I wasn’t pleased at all today,” Everett manager Pedro Grifol said. “I don’t think we played very aggressive at all. They threw a pretty good arm out there and he pitched extremely well, but I didn’t see any aggressiveness from our club, both offensively and defensively.”
Nottingham was virtually untouchable in his first four starts, compiling a 3-0 record and a miniscule 0.36 ERA.
However, Nottingham did not display the same kind of sharpness Tuesday, although he didn’t pitch badly. He lasted six innings giving up three runs on one walk and five hits. After striking out 28 in his first 242/3 innings, he had just one Tuesday. Even his outs were generally hit hard. Nottingham took the loss to fall to 3-1.
“I would definitely say I didn’t have any of my stuff today,” Nottingham said. “I pretty much had to battle the whole six innings. I don’t know, it was just one of those things. Obviously you can’t go through a whole season pitching as well as I have been. I’m disappointed in how I performed, but I know the next time out I have a chance to do better.”
Grifol considered Nottingham’s effort one of the few bright spots of the game, even if the left-hander didn’t have his best stuff.
“I thought he wasn’t as sharp as has been in the past, but he really battled and competed,” Grifol said. “He did a good job for us today.”
In contrast, Mock rarely gave up a hard-hit ball. In his seven innings he gave up five hits, no walks and struck out six to improve to 1-0. All five hits he surrendered were singles and the run he surrendered was unearned.
“I thought I pitched OK,” Mock said. “Everett is the best-hitting team in the Northwest League from what I understand, and early in the game I was trying to establish my fastball and get ground balls. I made some mistakes early, but they didn’t capitalize. I didn’t have my best stuff, but I’m not too upset.”
Yakima got to Nottingham in the top of the second. Carlos Gonzalez led off with a walk and Chris Carter followed with a double down the right-field line, putting runners at second and third with nobody out. One out later Trey Hendricks’ grounder just squeaked between third baseman Brandon Green and shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera, scoring one run. Daniel Pohlman’s groundout to third scored another, making it 2-0.
Everett cut the lead in half in the bottom of the third. With two out, Casey Craig’s seemingly harmless grounder to third was thrown away by Hendricks. Brent Johnson followed with a slow grounder that found a hole between short and third, and Craig hustled around to score from second, making it 2-1.
But Yakima got that run back in the top of the fourth when Brandon Burgess’ high fly ball to right center just drifted over the wall for his second homer of the season, making it 3-1.
Everett then somehow parlayed three singles in four at bats into nothing in the fifth. Marshall Hubbard led off with a single, but was thrown out stealing. Then with two out Mike Wilson singled and stole second, and Craig singled to left. Wilson was waved home, but was thrown out by a mile by left fielder Burgess.
Yakima added some insurance in the eighth off reliever Mumba Rivera. A walk, a hit batter and a single loaded the bases for Gonzalez, who grounded a two-run single to left to increase the lead to 5-1.
Everett tried to rally in the bottom of the ninth, putting runners at the corners with one out. But reliever Chris Kemlo struck out Rob Schweiger and got Green to ground out to short to end the game.
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