Weary staff welcomes rest

Steve Addy

Monday, July 10, 2000 | 10:06 a.m.

The Stars staggered to the finish line Sunday, but luckily it was only the All-Star break. They will get another chance in the race that matters most.

Despite reaching the break in second place in the PCL Southern, the Stars look like a team that desperately needs three days off.

They are 48-40, two games behind division-leading Sacramento, but with Sunday's 6-3 loss to the last-place Calgary Cannons, the Stars go into the break having lost eight of their last 11. The opposition scored at least 10 runs in seven of the games.

The weary-armed Stars can take solace in the fact that they have 56 games to play, including 12 against Sacramento, so they'll have plenty of opportunities to regain first place. But for now, they need to recharge their batteries.

"These guys have played their hearts out," Stars stand-in manager Randy Whisler said. "These three days should be good for us. We can get the pitching staff some rest. Guys can clear their heads and come back refreshed."

"The time off will do us all some good," center fielder Mike Darr said. "We can get away for three days and not think about the game. After we come back, we can think about the second half and finishing strong."

The Stars have been hitting well, averaging seven runs in their last 11 games, but they've lost by scores of 10-8, 12-7, 10-7 (twice), 10-9 and 13-1 since June 29. The bullpen is overworked.

"We have a few guys with nagging injuries, so the break should help," catcher George Williams said. "I think some of our relievers are also getting a little tired. They've been leaving the ball up (in the strike zone) and that gets you in trouble."

One particular pitch hurt the Stars in Sunday's loss. After Las Vegas wasted a 3-0 lead and let the Cannons to tie it 3-3, reliever Brendan Sullivan surrendered a three-run homer to Calgary's Mendy Lopez in the sixth inning. It was the shortstop's first homer of the year, a big blast to left-center, and the Stars never recovered.

Regardless of their fade over the last two weeks, the Stars regard the first half of the season as a success. They've endured countless roster call-ups by the Padres, especially the pitchers, and they even lost manager Duane Espy on May 30 when he became San Diego's hitting coach.

Since then, they are 18-20 under new manager Tony Franklin, who missed the last two games while coaching in the annual Futures Game in Atlanta.

"These guys are professional players and they go about their business the right way," Whisler said. "We've played well throughout the year and we're only two games out. That is a great job by this team to stay together with all of the (roster) moves. We've had great leadership."

"Even when guys have gotten called up, we kept a pretty good lineup together," Williams said. "A lot of the guys here have played together in the system and there is good chemistry even if one or two guys are in San Diego."

Williams pointed out that even when the Padres returned players to the Stars, those players did not sulk or cause dissension.

"Everyone wants to be in the majors, but when guys have come back, they've played just as hard and been just as professional. That's important," he said.