Pendleton, RiverDogs neutralize Drive

RiverDogs 5, Drive 0

If he keeps improving at this rate, Lance Pendleton won't have to worry about pitching out of the bullpen again.

Pendleton, making his fourth start since rotation regular Jairo Heredia went down with an injury, threw five shutout innings and earned his first victory as a starter as the Charleston RiverDogs defeated the Greenville Drive, 5-0, in front of 2,612 fans at Riley Park on Monday.

The former Rice Owl gave up only two hits and walked four while striking out six to help Charleston (26-11) end a two-game losing streak and remain a half-game behind the first-place Asheville Tourists in the Southern Division of the South Atlantic League.

It was his longest outing as a starter after going three innings in his first two starts and 4 2/3 innings in his previous outing. He said extending his innings had more to do with the club's decision than it did increasing his endurance.

"They have us on a pitch count and they ease us into it," he said. "But let's face it, my first two outings were brutal, and they would have taken me out anyway."

Pendleton (2-2) gave up six earned runs in his first six innings as a starter, but he hasn't allowed an earned run since then.

"I don't really have a different mindset from the bullpen as I do a starter. I'm just as comfortable either way," he said. "Mentally, (endurance) isn't an issue, and physically, I don't feel it's a big thing."

The only trouble he ran into was with two outs in the fifth inning when he gave up two walks and an infield hit. He finally got Yamaico Navarro to ground out to escape the jam.

Wilkins de la Rosa came on in relief for three innings and Casey Erickson left two runners stranded in the ninth to finish off the shutout.

"That was big tonight with Pendleton and de la Rosa going eight innings," Charleston manager Torre Tyson said. "It gives the bullpen another day off after having a day off. Hopefully, the way (Jason) Stephens and Pendleton have been going, they're going to make it a tough decision on who to bump out of the starting rotation."

Tyson expects Heredia to return in about two weeks.

David Williams hit a two-run double and scored on a passed ball after a seventh-inning triple to create most of the offense for Charleston.

Carmen Angelini hit his first homer of the year with a solo shot over the left-center field wall in the third inning. Jesus Montero drove in Justin Snyder in the first inning to start the scoring.

Coming up

The Drive and RiverDogs play their second game of the series at 7:05 p.m. today with scheduled right-handed starters Noel Castillo (3-2, 3.62 ERA) for Charleston and Eammon Portice (2-4, 4.15) for Greenville.

Today would be a good game to be in the mood for some hot dogs. The Riley Park concessions stands will hide a total of $1,000 in the hot dog wrappers.

Reach Bill Henley at 937-5595 or bhenley@postandcourier.com.