Thursday, April 20, 2000 | 10:23 a.m.
Color Las Vegas Stars' reliever Matt Whiteside white-hot.
The hard-throwing 32-year-old right-hander has yet to give up a run in 7 1/3 innings this season. And he pitched six hitless innings before finally giving up a pair of singles in two shutout innings during the Stars' loss to Salt Lake on Tuesday night at Cashman Field. He did not appear in Wednesday's 5-4 loss to Salt Lake City.
"He's just been exceptional out of the bullpen," Stars manager Duane Espy said. "He's done everything you can ask. He's thrown strikes. He's pitched well in jams. He really hasn't given anything up."
Indeed, opponents are hitting just .087 against Whiteside this year, tops on the team in that category. He also has struck out nine batters, which ranks him second on the squad behind starter Stan Spencer. And none of the three batters he has inherited has scored this year.
"He's been very consistent," Espy said. "That's tough to do when you're spreading it out like that because you can't count on the guy having the same stuff every other day. But Matt has so far."
Whiteside, who has compiled a 16-11 record in 243 major league games with the Texas Rangers, Philadelphia Phillies and San Diego Padres, led the Stars with 47 appearances in 1999, compiling a 9-5 record and seven saves to go along with a 5.12 ERA. He was purchased by the Padres on Aug. 24 and finished with a 1-0 record and 13.91 ERA in 10 appearances.
That ERA was a bit misleading, however. Whiteside allowed 13 runs and 12 hits in his first two innings after being called up but allowed just four earned runs over his final eight appearances while lowering his ERA to 13.91 from 58.50. And in his season finale at NL West champ Arizona, he struck out five Diamondbacks in two no-hit innings.
Espy said he wouldn't be surprised to see Whiteside back in San Diego again if he can continue to pitch well.
"In baseball, anybody who is doing well at this level has a chance," Espy said. "What kind of chance depends a lot on what is happening above you."
* VITIELLO INJURED: Stars' first baseman Joe Vitiello missed Wednesday's game against Salt Lake after spraining his ankle during infield drills.
"He went to catch an errant throw and rolled his foot over the first base bag," Espy said.
Espy said Vitiello, who is batting .259 with one home run and three RBIs, will be sidelined three to five days with the injury but will not be put on the seven-day disabled list.
"I don't think it's a DL situation," he said..
* GAME RECAP: Salt Lake second baseman Jay Canizaro went 3-for-3 and scored the game-winning run in the eighth on DH Mario Valdez's two-out single as the Buzz (9-5) handed Las Vegas (5-5) its second straight loss, 5-4, on Wednesday afternoon at Cashman Field.
* UP NEXT: Game three of the four-game series with Salt Lake is tonight at 7:05 p.m. at Cashman Field. Right-hander Buddy Carlyle (0-1, 8.68 ERA) is scheduled to start for the Stars against Buzz right-hander Mike Lincoln (0-1, 4.26). The series concludes on Friday night at 7:05 with right-hander Stan Spencer (2-0, 0.82) opposing Salt Lake right-hander Scott Randall (2-0, 3.45).
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