Wranglers hammer Leek, Cardinals

Wichita claims series opener, pounding out four home runs in racing to early advantage

Kary Booher
News-Leader

 When it came time to assess the damage, Springfield Cardinals left-hander Randy Leek didn't even need a second to gather his thoughts.

"I couldn't locate my fastball. My offspeed, I was leaving down the middle of the plate," Leek started in and then paused. "But you've got to give them credit too. They didn't miss anything."

Yeah, so much for making a statement to open a long homestand.

Leek served up a season-high four home runs, but Ryan Baerlocher suffered no such meltdown, taking a shutout into the seventh to aid the Wichita Wranglers in shoving an 8-2 loss down the throats of the Cardinals on Tuesday night in front of 7,526 at Hammons Field.

Wichita's Justin Huber boosted his league-leading average to .347 by leading the Wranglers' 11-hit attack and falling a triple shy of the cycle, his two-run homer in the third inning sinking the Cardinals into a 5-0 hole from which they would never recover.

Leek was looking to become the Texas League's first 11-game winner this season and extend his winning streak to four, one he hoped would spur the Cardinals as they opened a nine-game homestand.

But there would be no congratulatory high-fives to speak of for Leek, who got yanked in the sixth a batter after Brennan King swatted the game's fourth homer over the left-field bullpen and a 6-0 lead.

That left fielder Papo Bolivar didn't even turn around and give chase to King's shot pretty much summed up Leek's night. Overall, the left-hander was tagged for seven runs, all earned, on nine hits, leaving with no outs in the sixth and saddled with the dubious record of 21 homers allowed, the most in the Texas League.

"It was one of those days," Leek added, "where you forget and move on."

But how to shake off this one? First, it was Mike Aviles slugging a solo homer in the first inning, then along came another solo shot from John Draper — his first of the year — an inning later.

Leek then plunked No. 9 batter Mel Stocker in the buttocks, apparently to send a message to the rest of the Wranglers lineup.

But, nope, that didn't work. Wichita opened the next inning with a single, then Aviles doubled to Bolivar and Huber delivered a two-run blow that clanged off the fence above the wall in left-center.

Huber now has 12 homers and 64 RBIs, and he left everybody amazed that he took a Leek offering that was low and away the other way.

"Usually he goes to right-center, straightaway center," Wichita manager Frank White said. "He sees the ball longer than most guys, and I think that's to his credit right there."

It just added to Leek's frustrations and questions about why he is yielding so many home runs. Is it he is tipping his pitches? What?

"If I am, I'm not trying to," said Leek, who was making a fifth start this season against Wichita.

Said Springfield manager Chris Maloney, "He's going to give up some home runs because he's going to stick the ball in there. I can't argue with his effort."

Wichita added sacrifice flies from Brett Groves and Mitch Maier off Oscar Alvarez to boost its lead to 8-0 in the sixth.

That was more than enough for Baerlocher (3-2), who pitched 6 1/3 innings for the win. Though he didn't record a strikeout, he had a no-hitter going until Milko Jaramillo hit an infield single that forced King, the third baseman, to hurry a throw that he lost after diving to his left to stop.

Baerlocher departed after Bolivar hit a two-run single.

"We never got a good sniff off him," Maloney said. "He kept us off balance all night."

Leek only wished the Wranglers could have said that about him on this night.

But ...

"We've got four more against these guys, and we've got good pitchers going at them," Leek said. "I just didn't do what I needed to do."