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Thursday, Jul. 23, 2009

Nuts' Riordan picks up the pace

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STOCKTON -- There's a fine line between rushing and pitching quickly, and Cory Riordan has found it.

The Modesto Nuts' right-hander not only sped up his pitching motion, but also reduced the time he spends between throwing pitches. On Thursday, his new-found mound presence resulted in his second straight complete game and an 8-2 victory over the Stockton Ports.

Riordan (6-6) got ample offensive support, as Jeff Cunningham, Charlie Blackmon and Maikol Gonzalez all blasted home runs, giving the homer-starved Nuts seven blasts in their last three games and nine wins in 11 starts.

Riordan's last start resulted in an eight-inning complete-game 1-0 loss at San Jose. Prior to that, he worked eight innings in a 3-1 victory at home against High Desert.

"A very important part of starting pitching is going deep into games and giving your team a chance to win," said Riordan, a Connecticut native who was pitching in front of his parents for the first time this season.

But in leveling his record after a 1-5 start to the season, Riordan looks like a new pitcher. A small hesitation in his delivery has been moved in addition to his spending less time between pitches.

"We sped him up a little bit about three or four starts ago because he had a little stop in there," said Nuts' pitching coach Doug Linton. "I like more of an even tempo with more fluidity within the motion. He's taken to it and the quality of pitches has improved."

And by working more quickly on the mound, Riordan not only controls the pace of the opponent's at-bats, but he keeps his own defense fresh.

"Getting right back on the mound between pitches gives hitters less time to think," Riordan said. "You make a pitch, and you're successful with it. It's easier to repeat that pitch four seconds later than repeating it 20 seconds later."

Modesto took an early 2-0 lead off Ports' starter Scott Hodsdon, with both runs gift-wrapped by the home team.

In the first, Gonzalez walked with one out and was wild-pitched to second. After Jay Cox reached on an infield error, Hector Gomez delivered a sacrifice fly.

Scott Beerer led off the second with a single and moved to second when Lars Davis was hit by a pitch. Radames Nazario bunted the runners along, then Beerer sprinted home on a wild pitch.

The Ports struck back for single runs in the second and third, but that's all Riordan would allow. He finished with eight hits allowed while striking out a season-high 10 batters.

Cunningham's long homer to right off reliever Derrick Gordon, a one-out shot in the sixth, gave Modesto the lead for good.

The Nuts added two more against Gordon in the seventh on Jason Van Kooten's two-run pinch-hit double for a 5-2 lead.

In the top of the ninth, Craig Baker was warming up in the bullpen, hoping to save his team record- tying 29th game of the season. But Stockton closer Mickey Storey got rocked in his first non-save situation for the Ports, giving up the homers to Blackmon and Gonzalez.

It ruined Baker's save situation, but opened the door for Riordan to finish what he started in a tidy 115 pitches.

"I was more than happy to go back out there for the ninth," Riordan said. "I'm excited to be able to finish games."

Bee staff writer Brian VanderBeek can be reached at bvanderbeek@modbee.com or 578-2300.