Mock feeling fine
05/16/2007 1:20 PM ET
By Michael Walsh / Potomac Nationals
WOODBRIDGE, VA -- Even though yesterday was his first start in a game that mattered since last year, to Garrett Mock, it was more like a vacation.
"The day you start is like your day off," Mock said. "It's your day to go out and have fun and play baseball."
Mock and the 789 in attendance had some fun Tuesday night, as the right-hander made his 2007 debut at Pfitzner Stadium, pitching six scoreless innings in Potomac's 2-0 win over Atlanta affiliate Myrtle Beach. Mock had been inactive since Spring Training this season, still recuperating from knee surgery last season.
But despite the dominant performance by the former third round pick, it wasn't exactly what he had in mind.
"Before the game I was just thinking that I can't go out and conquer the world in one start," Mock said. "I didn't want to try to do too much."
Casting aside his pre-game mantra, Mock did a lot and in his first start took some steps to solidifying his No. 12 prospect status in the Washington farm system. Conquering the world looked like that was what Mock had set out to do, as he cruised through six pain-free innings, the knee only occasionally tightening up in between innings -- something that Mock said was due to the change in climate from Florida, where he was rehabbing in Extended Spring Training.
In his postgame interview, Mock acknowledged his successes, but was quick to point out the pitches where he missed spots, where his execution was not where it needed to be.
"I made a few mistakes tonight, and that's what the next start is about, trying to eliminate those mistakes," Mock said. "You can't go out and try to pitch ten-times better than you did the last time out every time."
Now comes the telling part for Mock and his knee. After the start last night, Mock said he felt no pain in his knee, a non-sensation that he hopes will continue through the rest of the season and help the Washington front office's decision to trade for Mock and Matt Chico while parting ways with long-time Washington/Montreal fixture Livan Hernandez look like a stroke of genius. In other words, it's five days until Mock can take another vacation.
"My routine between starts is pretty hectic, with all the maintenance I do for my arm," Mock said. "Plus I'm trying to double and triple-up on stretching with the knee."
Hey Carlos, it's for you: When Potomac manager Randy Knorr stopped to give a pitching change to home plate umpire Mike Weinstein prior to the start of the bottom of the seventh Monday night, it could have been assumed that he would be going to one of his normal relievers.
But it was former starter Carlos Martinez that jogged out of the Potomac 'pen and toward the mound, where he saw his first action this season as a reliever. Prior to his relief appearance Monday, Martinez had pitched in relief 12 times in 2004 with the GCL Nationals, twice in 2005 with Vermont and four times in 2006 with Savannah.
According to manager Randy Knorr, the change was merely temporary and due to the number of starting pitchers in Potomac, including Mock, who was added to the 25-man roster this week.
"It's just until a spot frees up in the rotation," Knorr said.
Martinez had pitched much better as a starter in his last three outing, after getting off to a rough beginning in 2007. Martinez began the season 0-2 in his first two starts, giving up 13 runs in 19 1/3 innings with a 4.18 ERA. Martinez rebounded in his next three starts [3.38 ERA in 16 IP], picking up a win on May 1 against Winston-Salem and setting a season-high in strikeouts with five.
P-Nats nuggets:RP Adam Carr has not been scored upon in his last five outings, giving up just four hits and not surrendering a walk over those five innings...INF Ofilio Castro had his eight-game hitting streak snapped last night, going 0-for-3... Wednesday's Potomac starter John Lannan leads the Washington organization and is tied for the Carolina League-lead in wins this season, with a mark of 5-0. The left-hander's ERA of 2.47 is good enough for seventh in the CL and second in the farm system - behind Harrisburg's Collin Balester [2.35 ERA]... 1B Steve Mortimer leads all Carolina League first basemen in fielding percentage with a .997 mark, is tied for the league lead in RBI [28] and is second among active CL players with eight home runs [Stephen Pearce and his 11 homers, formerly of the Lychburg Hillcats is now with Double-A Altoona].
