51s raise Cain’s ERA this time around

Nick Christensen

Wednesday, May 4, 2005 | 9:42 a.m.

It was six nights ago that the Las Vegas 51s last faced Matt Cain, the 13th-rated prospect by Baseball America whose fastball reportedly hit 98 mph on the Fresno radar gun.

Facing the Giants' 20-year-old top prospect again, and this time without the only player who had a hit against him in 7 1/3 innings on April 28, the 51s answered the challenge.

Las Vegas rolled by a sub-par performance by Cain, cruising early and scoring four runs in the eighth inning for a 10-6 victory against the Fresno Grizzlies in front of a crowd of 2,557 at Cashman Field Tuesday.

They did it without utilityman Mike Edwards, who was called up to Los Angeles late Tuesday after Dodgers third baseman Jose Valentin suffered a sprained right knee earlier in the evening.

Cain's fastball was still in the 90s, but he wasn't fooling 51s batters. Two 51s singled to center in the first inning, including Joe Thurston, who hit a three-run home run in the second to put Las Vegas up 4-2. Mike Rose and Willy Aybar each had doubles in the third before Cain seemingly calmed down and the 51s bats cooled for the moment.

"It just never felt good out of the hand," Cain said. "It just wasn't there. It started in the bullpen."

Cain finished with five runs on five hits in 4 2/3 innings. He struck out seven batters but allowed six of his team's 12 walks.

"The things he had in Fresno, he didn't have tonight," 51s manager Jerry Royster said. "He didn't have his command. He was kind of out of sync. At least we know he's human now."

Cain said that this was one of his worst outings this year. He entered Tuesday's game having given up 10 hits, five runs and 11 walks in 25 2/3 innings this season.

"He's going to have a lot more good nights than bad nights when it's all said and done," Grizzlies manager Shane Turner said. "When he has his command and it's all working, there ain't anybody in this league that can hit him. It's a learning process for him at 20 years old. I just wish he'd pitched as well as he swung the bat."

Cain went 2-for-2 at the plate.

Despite Cain's obvious difficulty with command of his fastball, Royster was still happy about the hits his club was able to get.

"We got our hits through. That's the whole thing. We did what we were supposed to do," he said. "I looked forward to tonight. I was glad to see my guys compete against a guy like that. I'm sure they're proud of themselves, without saying it."

The 51s, now 13-11, will face Fresno for the next two games at Cashman Field before opening a home series against Sacramento on Friday.