Faces keep changing as Vegas loses again

Nick Christensen

Monday, April 26, 2004 | 9:19 a.m.

Terry Kennedy frequently says he's "fatalistic" about all the roster moves a Triple-A team faces over a season.

The Las Vegas 51s manager, who before the season guessed his team would have 125 roster moves this season, sat after Sunday's 6-0 loss to the Sacramento River Cats, with an index card with 15 chicken scratches on the wall by his desk.

The team had five roster moves over the weekend, losing one of its best relievers, Rick White, in a trade with Cleveland and gaining a pitcher from Double-A, Harold Eckert, who pitched 1 2/3 innings just hours after arriving, and giving up four earned runs in the ninth inning.

The month of April has not been kind to the 51s. After winning their first two games, the team lost six in a row at home. Twice since, the 51s have been within a game of .500, and twice since, they've lost the game that would break them even on the year.

"It's like that dream where you're running, and you can't quite get there," Kennedy said of reaching .500.

Their bullpen, that was supposed to be the team's strength, has given up three losses, and the team as a whole is hitting .244, with just three players batting better than .300.

"It's a matter of grinding it out. I don't think anything's coming real easy for them," said Kennedy. "Chen being back will help, but after sitting for two weeks, he may need to break out a little bit."

Outfielder Chin-Feng Chen was sent down from the Dodgers after pitcher Brian Falkenborg was activated from his rehab assignment at Las Vegas. Chen, who was called up April 12 in the season's second roster move, went 0-for-3 in five at-bats with the Dodgers. He did not start a game.

Not only did Las Vegas come back from its eight-game road trip struggling offensively, but the 51s also have been hit by a series of injuries. Sunday's scheduled starter Tom Farmer was scratched with a rib injury, and two outfielders -- Cody Ross and John Barnes -- are out with injuries.

The injuries, along with somewhat frequent series with American League affiliates, are giving extra opportunities to some players who did not find much playing time last season. Outfielder Nick Theodorou has already had more at-bats than he did all of last season, and is second on the team with a .310 average. Outfielder Shane Victorino, who is hitting .390 in 41 at-bats at Triple-A last year, is at .265 in 68 at-bats.

"Some guys that are playing a lot and hadn't been playing that much are finding things out about how being an everyday player is a little bit different," Kennedy said.