Stars' Murray promoted to Padres; Spencer returning to LV

There was reason for at least one Las Vegas Stars player to celebrate following Tuesday night's 8-3 loss to the Fresno Grizzlies at Cashman Field.

Left-handed starter Heath Murray, pulled after just 25 pitches and two shutout innings, got the news to pack his bags for San Diego, where he is already penciled in to start Saturday night's game for the Padres against the Cincinnati Reds at Qualcomm Stadium.

Ex-Star Stan Spencer, who struggled to an 0-5 start and 7.71 ERA, will return to Las Vegas to take Murray's spot and, according to Las Vegas manager Mike Ramsey, will start Thursday night's game against Fresno at Cashman Field.

Murray (4-1, 2.43 ERA) had an inkling something was up prior to his six-batter outing on Tuesday. But he wasn't officially informed by Ramsey until after his brief stint.

"I didn't want to tell him until after he pitched, but I think he knew," Ramsey said. "We were just following orders from the top."

One reason for the secrecy is that Spencer wasn't going to be told until after the Padres' loss to the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday night.

"I pretty much knew," Murray, who compiled a 1-2 record and 6.75 ERA in 17 games with the Padres in 1997, said. "They told me I'm going to start Saturday night against Cincinnati."

"He's throwing the ball very well, as good as I've ever seen him throw," Ramsey said. "He earned this promotion."

* MIRABELLI HOMECOMING: Former Valley High star Doug Mirabelli returned to Cashman Field with an eight-game hitting streak and hitting a healthy .324 batting average with six home runs and 21 RBIs.

However, Mirabelli, 28, was hardly overjoyed about making another return trip to his hometown with the triple-A Fresno Grizzlies.

Far from it, in fact.

Fresno's player of the month for April, a frustrated Mirabelli recently lashed out at the Giants for not keeping him on the big-league roster. San Francisco has just two catchers --- veterans Scott Servais and Brent Mayne --- on its squad and neither will be confused with Johnny Bench.

"I've been playing well," Mirabelli said. "What else can I do?"

Keep playing well, according to ex-Star and current Fresno manager Ron Roenicke.

"He's just got to keep doing what he's doing now," Roenicke said. "If he does this all season, it will be awfully hard to keep him down here."

"I'm just an insurance policy (for the Giants) right now," Mirabelli said. "I like coming here to play because I can see my family, but I'd just as soon skip it for a while."

Mirabelli made a rare start at first base on Tuesday night and went 2-for-3, including a two-run homer in the eighth inning, to help lead Fresno to its 8-3 victory.

* LAROCCA RETURNS: Infielder Greg LaRocca, who underwent surgery to repair a torn pectoral (chest) muscle suffered in a fight at Omaha three weeks ago, returned from San Diego to begin his lengthy rehab.

The good news is that LaRocca, originally thought to be lost for the season, said he could actually return late in the year if his rehab goes well.

"There's a chance I could be back," said LaRocca, who had his left arm in a sling for the last three weeks. "The main thing is that I've got to let this heal. I don't want to re-injure it."

"If anybody can do it (come back this season), it's Greg," Stars trainer George Poulis said. "But if he does make it back, it probably won't be for much of the season."

LaRocca suffered the injury when a couple of Omaha players grabbed him around the chest and tried to pull the former New Hampshire state wrestling champ off Golden Spikes shortstop Ray Hulbert, who jumped LaRocca after he slid hard into second base while breaking up a double play. LaRocca quickly put a headlock on Hulbert and began using his face for a punching bag.

"I got a lot of good shots in," he said. "I thought I was lucky because (two Omaha players) pulled me off instead of just jumping in and punching me. But when I stood up, I felt a weird pain (in the chest)."

* GAME RECAP: Center fielder Calvin Murray, Mirabelli and catcher Craig Mayes all hit home runs as Fresno (22-17) won the opener of its four-game series with the Stars, 8-3, Tuesday night at Cashman Field.

* UP NEXT: The Stars play Fresno at 12:15 in a business person's special today. Right-hander Bryan Wolff (3-3, 4.14 ERA) is scheduled to face Fresno lefty Aaron Fultz (2-1, 4.66). The teams continue their series Thursday night at 7:05 p.m. with right-hander Stan Spencer (0-0, 0.00) going against Fresno right-hander Ryan Jensen (4-2, 4.50).

archive