Hillcats struggling to adjust to new positions and lineup changes

Baseball, it should be pointed out, is a game of habit. One hundred and forty games in the minors, 162 in the majors. Players talk about consistency, finding grooves and comfort zones. Admittedly, that hasn’t been easy for the Hillcats. Several hitters are getting used to new spots in the batting order, and five regulars are trying to learn new positions, some they’ve never played before.

Neither Jordy Mercer nor Jose De Los Santos had ever played third before the second half started. So mistakes were bound to happen. Take Wednesday night’s game for instance. With the bases loaded and nobody out, Mercer fielded a ball at third and never looked to home, instead checking second before throwing to first for the force. Shortstop’s instinct.

Manager P.J. Forbes can take some solace in small steps, like he saw Thursday night in a 3-1 loss to Wilmington at City Stadium. Twice, Mercer fielded hot shots with a runner at third. Each time, he looked home as the aggressive Blue Rocks looked to score. Both times, the runner was caught in a run down. Without those heady plays, the score could have been much worse Thursday.

“For those guys, for him and De Los and Chase (d’Arnaud), when they’re in those positions, it’s about reps,” Forbes said. “Having plays happen and learning from them. And if they’re better the next time, then we’re on the right path.”

That said, there was some concern Thursday about baserunning, which had been such a strength for Lynchburg in the first half.

Twice, outfielder Jamie Romak — who opened the year in Double-A — got caught in compromising positions. He was caught stealing for the third out in a rundown in the second, and he was busted trying to reach third on a Kris Watts single in the fifth.

It was almost a carbon copy of Wednesday night’s basepath adventures for Romak, who was caught stealing in the second inning and was the third out in the fourth trying to reach third on a Watts single.

“It’s just being smarter,” Forbes said. “I want us to be aggressive, but aggressive in the right situations. The rule is don’t make the first or third out at third base. That’s just baseball IQ and knowing the situation of the game. We talked about it, and hopefully one time addressing when we’ve made the same mistake twice in two nights, we learn from it.”

Wilmington scored single runs in the first, fifth and seventh, taking advantage of an uncharacteristically wild night by Lynchburg pitching. Starter Justin Wilson allowed just three hits and two earned runs, but he walked five in five innings.

In all, the Cats walked eight, but they kept side-stepping disaster, turning five double plays. Four Blue Rock innings ended due to baserunning blunders.

A Hillcats’ rally in the eighth inning looked promising. Watts roped a double to right center and scored on d’Arnaud’s bases-loaded sacrifice fly, cutting Wilmington’s lead to 3-1. With Jose De Los Santos on first and Eddie Prasch on second, Alex Presley hit a bloop to left that Paulo Orlando fielded on the slide.

Orlando tried to double De Los Santos off first, but threw wide, allowing the baserunners to advance. But Jordy Mercer grounded out to third, ending the threat.

The hold made a winner out of Wilmington starter Mario Santiago, who entered with a 3-9 record but held the Cats to four hits in five scoreless innings.