What a Difference a Week Makes

If the Kinston Indians based their whole season on how they played against the Salem Avalanche, they would be sitting pretty with a record comfortably over .500. The K-Tribe are 4-2 against the team from southern Virginia, and the latest series was a showcase for Beau Mills. Last week, I said that Beau was struggling and wouldn't know a clutch hit if it stopped him in the street. Mills busted out of his slump with a big opening game, homering twice and driving in six runs. His average has climbed over the Mendoza line to .212. Just because he has one great game, does not get him off the hook, however, as he's hitless in his last eight at-bats. You might think I'm picking on this guy, but the output from your team's best player generally dictates how the status of the team. This team will go as far as Mills will lead them. When I talked to Chris Hemeyer before the season about Beau Mills, he said I might be lucky to even see him play. The learning curve at this level seems to be so intense, though, that the ticket to Akron and beyond will have to stay at the airport. That being said, the onus does not fall on Mills, but the players in the supporting cast like Johnny Drennen and Jerad Head. It's things like scoring 16 runs in two victories over Salem and then failing to score in the finale that I'm sure is making K-Tribe manager Chris Tremie scratch his head. A characteristic of great teams is the ability to step on the necks of the opposition and kick them while they are down.
A minute on the pitching, and looking at the stat lines, one name stands out. Josh Tomlin is 3-1 in nine relief appearances. He has struck out 16 batters in 17 and 1/3 innings with an ERA just over two. He is the kind of stop-gap reliever the Indians need if they want to turn this around, as the starting pitching is still a work in progress.
Of course, it's not near the end for this team, they are still 8-15 at the end of April, and miles ahead of where they were when the season started.
The month of May provides stronger challenges for Kinston right out of the gate. They finish off their 10 game road trip in Lynchburg and Fredrick. The Indians were able to get a game each from both teams at Grainger Stadium, but lost a combined five games. The team with the best record in the Carolina League, the Potomac Nationals, greets the K-Tribe when they return home. The P-Nats swept the Tribe in Woodbridge behind the strong pitching of Ross Detwiler and scoring 29 runs in three games off K-Tribe pitching. After two more road series against Winston-Salem and Myrtle Beach, we reach May 23rd, and my first action seeing the team.
I can only tell you now what I see in the box score, what I read, and what I hear from Chris, but soon I'll be able to give you a first-hand account of what goes on. This team has the ability to turn it around, and the pieces are there to make a worst-to-first run at the first half title. It's also unfair to say that the team should focus on getting better this half and worry about a title in the second half. The more this team focuses on winning now, the better it will be for the players who come through here later in the year.
As I always say, you can check the Indians out every game on kinstonindians.com/radio.asp. If you can't get enough K-Tribe from me, read David Hall's recaps in the Kinston paper, he does a great job. Next post comes at the end of the road trip, and a preview of the series with Potomac.