With 21 hits already on the board, the insult was bad enough. Lynchburg’s blowout loss to Potomac was mercifully almost over, its hopes of winning its first series in nearly a month dashed many innings earlier.

Two nights ago, everything the Hillcats did just to get a single run on the board failed. Baserunners were a rare commodity. Hits didn’t find holes. Nothing came easy.

One of the requirements for a quality start, an effective way of measuring a pitcher’s performance, is that the outing lasts at least six innings.

When the Pirates completely overhauled their front office in the offseason, they tabbed 29-year-old Kyle Stark, a do-it-all member of the Cleveland Indians’ organization, to be their farm director, replacing veteran minor league manager/evaluator Brian Graham. Stark sat down with the News & Advance for a Q&A when he was in Lynchburg last week.

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Winston-Salem starter Aaron Poreda shut down the Hillcats for the second time in a week in the Warthogs’ 4-2 win Monday.

The Hillcats’ series finale with the Keys was rained out Sunday. The teams will make up the game as part of a doubleheader in Frederick next weekend.

A quick scan of Frederick’s roster reveals a who’s who of Baltimore’s top minor league prospects, with six of the Orioles’ top 10 currently wearing a Keys uniform.

You look at the confident swing, the free-flowing swoop from the left side that’s produced more home runs than any Hillcat this year, and you think to yourself that Steve Lerud must have done some major offseason tinkering with his mechanics.

There are plenty of people — mostly Orioles fans — who wouldn’t mind seeing Frederick catcher and prized prospect Matt Wieters make a quick ascent through Baltimore’s minor league system.

You would think 21-year-old Aaron Poreda would shy away from the attention and pressure that burdens him as the White Sox’ first-round pick in last year’s draft and their top organizational prospect.

For much of April, the Hillcats’ bullpen was a steadying force.

The Hillcats were a small ball model in the early innings against Myrtle Beach on Tuesday. They bunted runners up, swiped a base when it was there and, despite leaving a mess of runners in scoring position, got enough hits to produce a bunch of runs.

You’re from Buffalo. What’s the best thing about the city?

The clock approached 7 a.m. one winter morning two years ago as Tony Mansolino prepped to substitute teach another class, a nice way to make some money during baseball’s offseason, despite the early — and very un-baseball-like — hours.

The Pirates’ new upper brass has a rule, one from which they won’t waver: If a pitcher throws more than 30 pitches in an inning, he’s won’t come out for another. End of discussion.