Allen makes all-star squad

Steve Guiremand

Friday, June 25, 1999 | 10:14 a.m.

What a difference a day makes.

Wednesday night was a game that Stars outfielder Dusty Allen would love to forget ... if not for the throbbing pain he still feels in his left ankle.

Allen struck out four consecutive times in the contest, which Las Vegas lost thanks to a seven-run Iowa ninth-inning rally. Worse yet, Allen fouled pitches off his left ankle in three straight plate appearances.

But Thursday brought a new game with the Iowa Cubs. And despite the fact Allen planned to sit the game out because of severe pain in his badly battered ankle, it turned out to be a memorable night for the 26-year-old Stanford product.

Not only did he hobble to the plate and deliver a game-tying pinch-hit two-run single in the bottom of the ninth of the Stars' 7-6 win over the Cubs, he also found out he was the only Las Vegas player selected to the triple-A All-Star Game to be played July 14 in New Orleans.

"It doesn't get any worse than it did (Wednesday) night," Allen said with a smile. "And it doesn't get much better than this.

"It's really exciting to make the All-Star Game. I've never made an All-Star Game before. I didn't even know about it until after the game."

A game Allen very nearly didn't play in.

"I felt like I might have to walk down to first base," Allen said of his game-tying bloop single to left-center. "It definitely smarts to run. When I try and flex that ankle it hurts."

Allen said all three foul tips hit the same spot of his ankle.

"By the time the third one hit there, there was a sickening feeling in my stomach," he said.

Stars manager Mike Ramsey said he turned to Allen because he had run out of other position players to pinch-hit.

* MERCEDES RELEASED: Veteran right-hander Jose Mercedes, who was impressive at times this season with Las Vegas while making a comeback from rotator cuff surgery, was given his outright release by the San Diego Padres on Friday.

Mercedes had compiled a 2-6 record and 4.30 ERA in 15 games with the Stars, allowing 110 hits in 88 innings while striking out 57. Opponents were hitting an even .300 against him.

Ironically, the 28-year-old Mercedes, signed to a minor league free agent contract by the Padres last March after having arthroscopic surgery to clean up his rotator cuff on July 15, 1998, pitched one of his best games of the season in Wednesday night's 8-5 loss to Iowa.

Mercedes allowed just one run and eight hits in seven innings, striking out six and not walking a batter. More importantly, he averaged 90 miles per hour with his fastball and had one clocked at 95 mph.

"He's regaining his velocity and his other stuff was pretty good," Stars manager Mike Ramsey said.

But Mercedes had a prior agreement with the Padres that he would get his release if the big league squad had no plans for him by mid-June of this season.

"I would have loved to have kept him around," Padres' General Manager Kevin Towers. "He threw exceptionally well last night. ... But timing is everything and our pitching has been doing well (in San Diego). And Jose understood that."

* JOYNER FINISHED: Wally Joyner ended his one-week injury rehab assignment with the Stars on Thursday night by getting two walks and a bloop single in four plate appearances. He left the game in the seventh inning so he would have plenty of time to catch a 11:20 flight back to San Diego.

* MELO OKAY: Shortstop Juan Melo left Thursday night's game with a badly bruised right hand after getting hit by a pitch by Iowa reliever Richard Barker.

The injury appeared to be much worse. Melo was down for several minutes rolling on the ground in obvious pain before finally walking off the field.

Stars' trainer George Poulis said Melo is expected to be sidelined between three and seven days.

* GAME RECAP: Carlos Baerga's two-out single in the bottom of the ninth drove in Rico Rossy to break a 6-6 tie and give Las Vegas (34-39) a 7-6 come-from-behind victory over the Iowa Cubs (32-40) on Thursday night at Cashman Field.

The Stars, who had lost five straight games and 13 of their previous 15 contests, trailed 6-4 with two out in the bottom of the ninth.

* UP NEXT: The Stars conclude their homestand tonight at 7:05 p.m. at Cashman Field. Right-hander Bryan Wolff (5-7, 5.03 ERA) will start for Las Vegas against Iowa lefty Brian McNichol (3-6, 5.76).