51s get Penny for now

Nick Christensen

Monday, April 18, 2005 | 9:30 a.m.

The Colorado Springs Sky Sox and Las Vegas 51s have combined for 120 runs in six games this year, including 24 in the 51s' 13-11 win at Cashman Field on Sunday.

If tonight's game at Cashman Field is at all typical, then, the Los Angeles Dodgers might have cause to worry.

Dodgers starter Brad Penny will make a rehabilitation stop in Las Vegas tonight, taking another step on his recovery that began with an injury to a nerve in his biceps last summer.

The Dodgers have progressed cautiously with Penny's rehabilitation, but apparently were satisfied enough with his one start at Single-A Vero Beach to bring him up for at least one start with the 51s. In five innings against Palm Beach, Penny allowed one run and two hits, striking out three.

Penny will probably make around 90 pitches depending on his performance, 51s manager Jerry Royster said.

"After his last start in Vero, I think it'll be somewhere around there," he said. "It may be a little more difficult here than there."

Las Vegas catcher Dioner Navarro said he looks at tonight's game just like any other.

"I prepare the same way I do every day," he said. "I'll try to work him out as much as I can. I'll give him my best and hopefully he'll have a good day."

Dodgers general manager Paul DePodesta is expected to be at today's game with the big-league club beginning a two-game series at Milwaukee.

Penny's rehab apperance will push back Pat Mahomes' scheduled start to Tuesday. Mahomes will face the Los Angeles Angels' Kelvim Escobar, who is slated to make 80 to 90 pitches as he recovers from an elbow sprain.

Penny and Escobar will pitch against two teams that have been wearing down home plate. In 10 games, Colorado Springs has scored 73 runs but is just 4-5. The 51s improved to 5-4 Sunday, and have scored 75 runs with 99 hits.

"I'm glad some guys are swinging the bat the way they are," Royster said. "It's hard for us not to end up with a lot of hits at the end of the game. We can knock the ball all around the field. It's going to be impossible to stop us from hitting if this team stays together.

"Hopefully it doesn't."

Although the offense is there, it's defense that might keep players at Triple-A for awhile. The 51s made four errors Sunday, bringing their season total to 12. Four of Colorado Springs' runs were unearned.

"We're not playing very well," Royster said. "Tony Schrager struggles on defense, then lays down a perfect sacrifice in the ninth. It was really a positive to be able to pinch out a game like that. But the bad stuff's got to get better."

The poor defense of the seventh inning nearly squandered what was a great start by Edwin Jackson. He gave up four runs on six hits in 5 1/3 innings, but entered the sixth inning ahead 6-1.

"Overall, this was a big confidence builder for me," he said. "I've worked on this start. I need to put a few more starts like this together and now finish it."

Jackson said his pitching focus now is getting his fastball command down.

"I threw better on the sides of the plate," he said. "They had a few good hits there. Overall, I'm not disappointed."

The defense also nearly washed away a poor start by Colorado Springs' Mike Esposito. A Cimarron-Memorial graduate and the 1999 Sun All-State Player of the Year, Esposito allowed six runs and eight hits in five innings, walking five 51s.