One day after State College starter Gary Daley Jr. showed what a pitcher should do, the Spikes supposed ace Adam Ottavino showed exactly what a pitcher shouldn't do.
Ottavino allowed six runs and 10 hits in four innings -- more runs than his first four starts combined -- as the Spikes dropped their fourth game in their last six, 12-4 last night against the Lowell Spinners.
The game was almost a carbon copy of Saturday's 17-2 blowout loss to the Staten Island Yankees. With the Spikes unable to pitch and hit, that combination has led to two closed-door meetings by manager Mark DeJohn this season. So there's no doubt meeting No. 3 took place in the bowels of Lelacheur Park.
The Spikes and their ace were never able to get into a groove as the Spinners jumped on them early and often. Lowell put two runs on the board before it could record an out in the first inning. Ottavino limited the damage by striking out two of the last three batters in the inning -- it was the first time Ottavino had allowed a run in the first three innings this season.
The Spikes offense showed some life and evened up the game in the next half-inning. Infielder Jose Salazar brought in outfielder Yonathan Sivira with a sacrifice fly, but that would be the closest State College would get in the contest.
Ottavino took the mound in the top of the fifth after the Spikes had battled back from a two-run deficit to tie the game. If there was any time in this game when State College needed its starter to hold the fort, it was now. But Ottavino did the complete opposite.
Ottavino started the inning with back-to-back walks to catcher Jonathan Still and third baseman Jorge Jimenez, and was promptly removed by DeJohn and replaced with Ryan Hodinka. But Hodinka didn't provide any relief.
Hodinka walked in a run, allowed two RBI hits, another one on an error, and 2/3 of an inning later it went from a 4-4 deadlock to a 9-4 Spinners advantage. DeJohn once again made the trek to the mound and brought Lance Marcum out, who gave up one more run and finally closed out the six-run fifth inning that put the game way out of reach for the Spikes.
