Nomo feels good after rehab outing with 51s

Nick Christensen

Friday, June 4, 2004 | 9:15 a.m.

Hideo Nomo had a chance Thursday to be the first pitcher to throw a no-hitter in the National League, the American League, and the Pacific Coast League.

Of course, it's likely few in the crowd of 3,749 came to Cashman Field with expectations of seeing a no-hitter. But baseball fans were treated to a five-inning, 67-pitch performance by one of baseball's higher-profile pitchers, who was in Las Vegas for a rehabilitation assignment from the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Nomo, the Dodgers' ace, allowed five hits, three earned runs, walked three, and struck out two in the 51s' 14-3 win against the Edmonton Trappers. Mark Johnson followed up Nomo's outing by pitching four scoreless innings, allowing four hits and striking out one with one walk.

After the game, Nomo said everything seemed to be all right with his pitching.

"I was able to throw a lot of pitches, and I was able to check my nail, and it was fine," Nomo said through an interpreter. "Basically, I was testing my throwing ability on my pitches."

Nomo cracked the nail on his right index finger May 20 in Philadelphia, and was placed on the 15-day disabled list. He had been throwing in bullpen sessions, but this was his first in-game performance since leaving the May 20 game in the second inning.

Despite starting against the top farm club of the Montreal Expos -- owners of the worst record in baseball -- Nomo said he didn't approach Thursday's game any differently.

"It's no different from the way I go into a major league game," he said. "I'm pitching to help my team win."

Nomo got help from his teammates, particularly Chin-Feng Chen, who went 3-for-5 with two home runs and five RBIs. Chen also broke the Las Vegas franchise record for total bases, moving his career total to 593 and passing Joe Lansford (591).

Las Vegas' Luis Garcia also went 3-for-5, with three RBIs and three runs. Garcia's second-inning home run moved him into a tie with Omaha's Calvin Pickering and Pawtucket's Earl Snyder for the most home runs in Triple-A, with 16.

But the focus Thursday was on Nomo, as evidenced by the half-dozen Japanese reporters bearing Los Angeles Dodgers media credentials and toting tape recorders, video cameras and notebooks to a mini-press conference in the Cashman Center convention hall, adjacent to the 51s locker room.

Dodgers pitching coach Jim Colborn, traveling with Nomo while Los Angeles had an off-day, said he liked what he saw.

"My job was to assess the injury and if he's capable of pitching in five days, and my report is that he's good to go," he said. "Looking for sharpness of pitches, the rhythm and how they looked."

Colborn said he planned to tell Dodgers manager Jim Tracy that Nomo is ready to start Tuesday in Los Angeles' kickoff of interleague play at Toronto.

51s catcher Koyie Hill said that while Nomo's pitch speed might not be where he wanted it to be, that was largely irrelevant.

"I think overall, it was a big positive, a successful stint," Hill said. "Nomo has always been a control guy, he showed that tonight."

Hill has caught Nomo in the past, in spring training games at the Dodgers' big league camp.

"I'm comfortable with him, I think he's comfortable with me," he said. "He's one of the easiest guys to work with."

Nomo allowed leadoff walks in three innings, including one to Valentino Pascucci in the fourth. That was followed by a home run from Edmonton's Ryan Church, a remarkable 10-for-14 in this series.

"It was a fastball, it was supposed to be inside, and it was inside; it was a pretty good pitch earlier in the count," Hill said. "It's a matter of inches, but Church has been swinging the bat really well."