Hot-hitting Arias clubs 3-run HR

Though the paid crowds have been sporadic of late (13,880 Saturday night, 4,344 Sunday), one thing has remained constant at Cashman Field in August: The home team has come to play.

Despite fading hopes of making the postseason, the trend continued Monday night as the Las Vegas Stars pounded the Tucson Sidewinders 13-5 in front of a paid attendance of 2,922.

The Stars, eight games behind South Division leader Fresno with 13 to play, improved to 59-70. (They are 9-2 at home in August.) The Sidewinders, clinging to third place in the division, dropped to 60-69.

"The home record wasn't up to standard for a while," said Stars manager Mike Ramsey, who has seen his club produce 36 runs in its last three games. "We struggled at home early, but over the past month or so we've really turned it around. If you're going to be good, you have to play well at home."

George Arias is largely responsible for the Stars' success of late. In Monday's lopsided victory, the former San Diego Padre scored three runs and blasted a three-run homer in the eighth inning to put the game out of reach. Since being activated August 9, Arias is batting .321 with 5 homers and 18 RBIs.

Jimmy Gonzalez (3-for-5) and Jake Thrower (2-for-4) contributed two RBIs apiece.

The Stars gave starter Heath Murray (5-4) all the runs he needed in the first three innings of the contest. The 6-3 lefty cruised through eight, only to be denied a complete game by bad luck and bad fielding. Murray, victimized by an infield single, an error and a chopper that somehow found right field, was pulled in the ninth with the bases loaded and no outs. His final numbers -- seven hits, five runs (four earned) -- were not indicative of how well he pitched.

"I felt decent out there," said Murray, who walked one batter while striking out eight. "The first few innings I was feeling everything out, but after that I got into a rhythm and Jimmy (Gonzalez) and I worked well together as far as pitch selection."

Submariner Brendan Sullivan recorded the final three outs of the game.

Las Vegas, which has had at least one error in each of its last eight games, benefited from Tucson's clumsy fielding. The Sidewinders committed five errors, three by first baseman Desi Wilson. Only nine of the Stars' 13 runs were earned.

Twenty-one-year-old prospect Nick Bierbrodt (1-4) lasted only two innings for Tucson and suffered the loss.

* WHITESIDE PROMOTED: The Padres called up reliever Matt Whiteside following Monday night's win over the Sidewinders. Whiteside (9-5, 5.12 ERA) has pitched effectively as a closer of late.

"I think (Whiteside) will pitch out of the bullpen," said Ramsey. "The thing about him is he's versatile enough to do several things. Whatever (the Padres) ask, he'll do. He may get a spot start, but I think the plan is to use him out of the pen."

San Diego optioned pitcher Will Cunnane to Las Vegas to make room for Whiteside on the roster.

* UP NEXT: The Stars go for a sweep of the four-game series with the Sidewinders tonight at 7:05 p.m. Bryan Wolff (7-10, 4.65 ERA) is scheduled to start against Tucson's Nelson Figueroa (9-5, 3.85 ERA).

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