Yes, Adam Wilk has only worn the Erie SeaWolves’ orange and black for one week.
And yes, the starting pitcher is on a rotation void of veterans like Brooks Brown (disabled list) and Thad Weber (promoted to Triple-A).
However, there’s no argument Wilk is the staff’s current ace. The 23-year old has pitched like one in his two starts for the SeaWolves, the second of which was in Monday’s 4-2 victory over Richmond.
Wilk went the first eight innings in his Jerry Uht Park debut. The left-hander from Buena Park, Calif., allowed two hits, walked two struck out eight and retired the last nine Flying Squirrels he faced.
Richmond only had two hits off Wilk, both in the top of the second inning. Clay Timpner hit a tape-measure home run and Eliezer Zambrano followed with a double.
Zambrano, though, was thrown out trying to stretch his hit into a triple.
“He moves the ball in and out,” Erie manager Phil Nevin said of Wilk. “He doesn’t possess overpowering stuff, but I’ve seen a lot of guys who have made it to the majors with that kind of stuff.”
Wilk will take a 2-0 record and a 0.56 earned-run average into his final start of the 2010 baseball season, scheduled for Saturday against the Akron Aeros.
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Weber, who was called up to Toledo the same day Wilk arrived in Erie, is scheduled to make his second career Triple-A start Tuesday night. The former SeaWolves right-hander will face the Louisville Bats in an International League game at Fifth Third Field.
In his Mud Hens’ debut, Weber pitched the first seven innings in a 2-1 loss at Indianapolis. He surrendered the Indians’ runs on five hits, walked one and struck out eight.
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Erie, which bashed with Binghamton for the Eastern League lead in home runs most of this season, has fallen to third in that team category.
The SeaWolves go into Tuesday’s game against Richmond with 124 homers. That total trails the Mets (142) and the New Hampshire Fisher Cats (132).
A reason is Erie’s current power outage. The SeaWolves have gone homerless since Aug. 20, when Bryan Pounds went deep in the second inning of a 5-3 victory over Reading.
First baseman Rawley Bishop remains Erie’s active leader with nine homers. Bishop also is the team’s active leader in RBIs with 42.
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Balloting closes Wednesday for Double Play for Charity, an online contest that allows fans to vote for their favorite player on the SeaWolves.
Erie Insurance Group (www.erieinsurance.com/seawolves) is co-sponsoring the contest. The organization will donate $2,500 to charitable organization of the top vote-getter’s choice.
Among the 15 charities vying for the donation are the John Kanzius Cancer Foundation, the Shriners Hospital and the Make-a-Wish Foundation.
Erie Insurance will announce the winning player and present the check to the charity of his choice before the SeaWolves’ season finale against Akron on Labor Day.
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Starting lineups for Tuesday’s game at Jerry Uht Park:
Richmond Flying Squirrels (64-70): 1. Brock Bond 3B, 2. Brad Boyer SS, 3. Conor Gillaspie DH, 4. Thomas Neal LF, 5. Clay Timpner RF, 6. Sharlon Schoop 1B, 7. Nick Noonan 2B, 8. Tyler La Torre C, 9. Ryan Lormand CF.
Starting pitcher: RH Craig Westcott (3-2, 5.40 ERA).
Erie SeaWolves (61-74): 1. Alden Carrithers LF, 2. Brandon Douglas SS, 3. Bryan Pounds 3B, 4. Rawley Bishop DH, 5. Deik Scram RF, 6. Billy Nowlin 1B, 7. Brent Wyatt 2B, 8. John Murrian C, 9. Kyle Peter CF.
Starting pitcher: RH Anthony Shawler (4-3, 4.84 ERA).
– Mike Copper