Stars fall in 14 innings

They were no-hit for more than nine innings Wednesday. But all in all, it wasn't a bad week or a bad start for the Mobile, er, Las Vegas Stars.

Mike Ramsey's young squad, the majority of which is making the big jump from double-A Mobile of the Southern League to triple-A competition in Las Vegas, ended its first homestand with a winning 4-3 record.

It would have been even better if the Stars hadn't blown a 3-2 lead with two outs in the ninth on Wednesday afternoon and lost a 4-3 decision to the Colorado Springs Sky Sox in 14 innings at Cashman Field.

Former Star Terry Shumpert's RBI in the ninth off reliever Brendan Sullivan tied the game, 3-3, and Shumpert, who played in Las Vegas in 1997, later provided the game-winning hit in the 14th with a two-out single off Jeff Darwin. The single drove in shortstop Chris Petersen, who had reached on a Juan Melo error.

The game never should have gotten that far.

The Stars, who didn't get a hit after Gary Matthews drove in Dusty Allen with a single with one out in the fifth, blew two key bases-loaded scoring chances after that.

The first occurred with two out in the seventh. First baseman Mike Mitchell popped out to end that threat. Then in the bottom of the 11th, the Stars filled the bases with one out only to have pinch-hitter David Newhan, the hero of Monday night's win, ground into a inning-ending double play.

Las Vegas went hitless over the final 9 2/3 innings against five different Colorado Springs pitchers.

"It was a long one," Ramsey said. "When was the last time we got a hit? The fifth inning or something. That's tough. And we had our chances late.

"The pitching was terrific for us today. We just didn't get it done offensively. I thought we were a little passive at the plate. We took a lot of pitches."

Stars starter Heath Murray gave up just one earned run and five hits in seven innings. He didn't walk a batter and struck out nine.

"Overall, it was a pretty good homestand," Ramsey said.

"I thought the pitching was terrific overall. For the most part, our defense was good. It would have been nice to sweep this series, especially when you get the first two like we did and then have a chance to close them out."

* NOMOMANIA: The Stars open a seven-game road trip on Friday night in Des Moines against the Iowa Cubs. And waiting to face them there will be former Dodgers star Hideo Nomo.

Nomo was signed by the Cubs following his release by the New York Mets at the end of spring training. He had struggled badly in 1998, going a combined 6-12 with a 4.92 ERA with the Dodgers and Mets.

* ROUGH START FOR RUBEN: Ex-Star Ruben Rivera, who already has been benched briefly this season following a slow start with the bat, can't seem to get a break.

In San Diego's 8-5 victory at Colorado on Monday, Rivera was cheated out of a walk when home plate umpire Greg Bonin miscounted the pitches in his at-bat.

According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, videotape replays and three press box accounts showed that Bonin had ruled four balls in Rivera's seventh inning at-bat. But Rivera never got the walk and eventually struck out on a full-count pitch.

San Diego Padres manager Bruce Bochy went out to appeal on Rivera's behalf and Bonin even telephoned the official scorer. However, the Coors Field official scorer surprisingly didn't keep a pitch count. So the count remained at 3-2 even though Rivera should have been awarded first.

"I felt naked out there," Bochy said. "Here I am going on about this, and the people in our dugout also are screaming that it was ball four. But then Bonin goes over to the dugout and makes that phone call. And I'm thinking, did we miss something?"

* EBERWEIN PROMOTED: Former UNLV star Kevin Eberwein recently was promoted from single-A Rancho Cucamonga to double-A Mobile by the Padres.

The 1998 fifth-round pick got the call-up when Mobile third baseman Ryan Balfe separated his shoulder. That injury is expected to sideline Balfe about a month.

* HOOPS, THERE HE GOES: Duke basketball star Trajan Langdon has a bio in the Padres' media guide and played parts of three seasons in the Pioneer rookie league.

But don't expect Langdon, a third baseman who hit just .189 in 22 games in 1997 at Idaho Falls, to be playing in Las Vegas in the future.

"I don't think so," Jim Skaalen, San Diego's director of player development, said during a stop in Las Vegas this week. "He's going to give basketball everything he's got."

Langdon was drafted by the Padres in the sixth round of the 1994 June free agent draft.

"He had some potential," Skaalen said. "He had a nice swing. He had some bat speed and some power. Defensively, when he played third, he didn't go side-to-side that well. But his arm was good and his hands were okay."

Skaalen said he was rooting for Langdon and Duke in the recent NCAA basketball tournament.

"Yeah, I was," he said. "Trajan is a great kid. I have nothing but good things to say about him. But I don't think we'll see him again."

* NEXT UP: Following a day off today, the Stars fly to Iowa where they face the Cubs on Friday night. Right-hander Jose Mercedes (0-1, 5.40 ERA) is scheduled to start for Las Vegas against Nomo (1-0).

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