Tommasin Padova’s pitching staff was battered in its last two series of July, dropping two games apiece to Italian Baseball League leader T&A San Marino and Rimini. After several weeks of stellar pitching efforts, the Paduans gave up 34 runs and scored only nine, losing all four contests. Former Royal Mark Teahen was unable to provide much of a spark, though he did draw five free passes.
In Padova’s series at San Marino on July 21 and 22, Kenny Rodríguez’ magic ran out, as he was shelled for 11 hits and five runs in five frames, striking out two and walking a pair. He dropped to 1-1 since arriving mid-season, having tossed nine innings of one-run ball until the dud. Roberto Canache, also on a recent hot streak, gave up two runs in three innings.
Carlos Quevedo (3-0) went six stellar frames for the T&A club, whiffing 10 and scattering six hits and three walks. The Venezuelan righthander gave up a run, which raised his ERA slightly to 1.27 for the campaign. He has struck out 32 in 21 2/3 innings. The former Astros’ prospect will not turn 28 till after the season, and may earn another shot in affiliated ball with his efforts.
Joshua Kimborowicz and Andrés Pérez each struck out the side in an inning of work, and José Ascanio added another K as the hapless Paduans struck out 17 times. Pérez has struck out a whopping 33 in 16 1/3 innigns in 2017. The only bright spot was Teahen, who doubled home Filippo Pacini for the club’s only run, walking twice and whiffing once in his other plate appearances.
Junior Oberto (6-0, 2.66) followed Quevedo excellent performance with one of his own, dominating Padova with six one-hit frames, walking three and striking out seven to earn the win. Frailyn Florian, who blew the save against the Tommasin hitters earlier in the year, struck out two in a pair of flawless innings and Tommaso Cherubini finished off the one-hit shutout.
Meanwhile, Diego Fabiani surrendered five runs on seven hits and two walks in five innings, punching out five as his ERA rose to 4.26. Lucas Montalbetti had the club’s only hit, while Teahen was 0-for-3 with a walk and a stolen base.
The Tommasin men welcomed Rimini to Padova this past weekend, entering with a 6-5 record at home, but without offensive sparkplug Carlos Perdomo. Rimini came in swinging, however, and knocked out Rodríguez with no outs in fifth after battering the Cuban righty to the tune of six hits, five walks, and six runs (five earned) in four-plus frames. He struck out two as his ERA skyrocketed to 5.50.
Canache (2-6, 3.83) came on for three solid innings, holding Rimini to an unearned run, but the visitors added another four against Edson Piovan in the eighth and won 11-1.
José Rosario (6-3, 2.40) hurled six four-hit innings, whiffing six for the victory. Ricardo Hernández finished with two shutout frames, sending four down on strikes. Giuseppe Sciacca had two of Padua’s meagre four hits, while Teahen was 0-for-3 with a base on balls.
In the Red-and-Black’s final game in July, the club fell behind Rimini 10-2 after six, but mounted a five-run seventh to make things interesting. That was all for Padova, who lost 11-7 despite finally breaking out of its offensive slump.
Fabiani (3-8, 4.09) was knocked around for the second straight game, allowing four runs on five hits and three walks in only three and two-thirds innings. He struck out only one. Four pitchers followed and had even less success, giving up six in five-and-a-third.
Carlos Richetti continued his superb season, improving to 4-3, though his ERA rose to 2.02 after giving up a pair of runs in five frames. José Escalona was battered for three runs in an inning-and-a-third, but Carlos Teran locked things down with 2 2/3 shutout innings, striking out three for his fourth save.
Federico Celli, the surprise winner (link) of MLB Battlegrounds in London early in July, was 3-for-6 with a double in the rubber game of the series after going 1-for-2 with three walks a day earlier, stealing a base each day. The 22-year old saw off Shawn Green, Carlos Peña, and Cliff Floyd in a power barrage for MLB’s inaugural event. Celli is hitting .313/.425/.500 for Rimini in 2017.
Sciacca had another two hits for the Red-and-Black as he appears to be snapping out of a season-long slump, raising his average from .195 to .221 in the process. Perdomo was particularly missed, as he leads Padova in all offensive categories, slashing .321/.404/.512 with 15 stolen bases.
Perdomo is the only player on the team to be above .300/.400/.400, as Teahen, despite a lead-leaguing walk total (28 in 30 games), has accumulated only a .214/.391/.306 line. Teahen was 5-for-26 in July, though he drew 11 walks against only three Ks after a strikeout-prone June.
Tommasin dropped to a woeful 9-21 after starting July with a four-game winning streak. Next up is Parmaclima Parma (15-15) this weekend, with the clubs playing a home-and-home two-game set. Neither club has hit well on the season—Padova is last at .197, while Parma is a league-average .253—and each is giving up around five earned runs per game (5.19 by Paduan hurlers to an even 5.00 for Parma). First pitch for both games in 19:30 GMT, with the series set to start on Friday.
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