katrina.waugh@roanoke.com 981-3127

Maybe he was due for a bad day.

At least that's the hope floated by Salem Avalanche pitching coach Stan Boroski and seconded by manager Russ Nixon after Fernando Nieve faltered Wednesday.

Nieve, who hadn't suffered a loss since mid-May, was battered for five runs in four innings as Salem lost 9-4 to Kinston at Salem Memorial Baseball Stadium.

"The big guy didn't quite have it tonight," Nixon said.

Nieve (8-4) had allowed three earned runs in his past three starts, walking one in that span. Nieve gave up seven hits and four walks Wednesday and didn't record a strikeout, a first this season.

Before the game even started, Nieve had trouble on the mound. It was too wet and Nieve was slipping during his warm-up pitches. The grounds crew fixed that with some drying agent and a rake. Nieve's other troubles weren't as simple to solve.

"He wasn't sharp and I don't know why," Boroski said. "It wasn't the mound."

The Avalanche was up 1-0 after an RBI single by Jeff Mackor in the second inning.

Nieve's trials compounded in the Kinston third.

Eider Torres led off with a double, and Nathan Panther rapped an RBI single then scored on a double by Pat Osborn. With two outs, Javier Herrera jacked a two-run homer into the top of the netting beyond the utility road behind the left-field wall. Jonathan van Every followed with a solo shot that sailed over center with help from a mighty wind to give the Indians a 5-1 lead.

"Some of these clubs, we can't fall behind like that and expect to catch up," Nixon said.

Nieve walked three batters to load the bases in the fourth inning but escaped.

Daniel Freeman, who started the year as Salem's closer, relieved. He had 21 saves and a 1.21 ERA with the Lexington Legends last season. He has nine saves for Salem, but his ERA was 4.54 before Wednesday.

"We want to put him in situations where he can build confidence," Boroski said.

Freeman struck out the first batter he faced, but then a double, a walk and back-to-back singles boosted Kinston's lead to 7-1.

Freeman struck out the last two batters and pitched a scoreless sixth. He ended up allowing two runs on four hits and a walk.

Lefty Aaron Heitzman finished for Salem, giving up two runs on three hits and a walk in three innings.

Van Every went 4-for-5 with two doubles and the homer for Kinston. Nathan Panther went 3-for-4 with a triple and an RBI for a team that just had its top hitter and run producer, Ryan Garko, called up.

Adam Seuss went 3-for-3 with a two-run homer for the Avalanche, which did manage 10 hits off Indians starter J.D. Martin in 6
innings. Mark Saccomanno went 2-for-3 with an RBI, and Josh Anderson went 2-for-5.

Salem could not overcome the unexpected pickle Nieve dropped it into.

"I don't recall him ever not giving us a quality outing," Nixon said. "Maybe he's entitled to one."

Note

Avalanche starter Jason Hirsh will miss one more start with a strained muscle in his left side. Boroski said Hirsh has been throwing for the past three days and is expected to return early next week.