Hillcats’ Mercer starting to live up to expectations

Jordy Mercer didn’t come to Lynchburg with the same sort of hype that accompanied his 2008 draft classmate, Pedro Alvarez. But plenty was expected from Mercer, the Pirates’ third-round pick who spent three years at Oklahoma State.

The power he showed in Stillwater (12 doubles, 14 home runs in 62 games) hadn’t yet materialized in his short minor-league career, and his calling card — his defense — was shaky, to say the least, in the Hillcats’ first five games.

It all began to come together on a frigid Wednesday night at City Stadium, though. Mercer, who had made five errors in Lynchburg’s first five games, had his second straight error-free night. And that power? Oh, it showed. Mercer’s three-run home run with one out in the eighth rallied the Hillcats from a two-run deficit and to a 5-4 victory over Winston-Salem, guaranteeing a winning record on this season-opening, eight-game homestand.

“We saw him smack balls in the face in spring,” Hillcats manager P.J. Forbes said. “We knew he would be able to do a lot of different things. The great thing is he’s showed he can lay down a bunt for a hit, he can hit the ball to the right side, and he’s got some pop. It makes him a little tough to compete with. It’s a real bonus to have him in the two hole.”

Mercer hadn’t been bashing the ball before the eighth inning Wednesday. He opened the year with six hits in his first 24 at-bats, four singles and two doubles. He drove in two runs in his first six games, and three on the blast in the eighth.

“It was a fastball. He missed inside and came back with it and left it over the plate,” Mercer said. “I just tried to put a good swing on it.”

Of more concern, before Tuesday at least, was Mercer’s defense. The fact that he was struggling at all surprised the 22-year-old righthander. He had errors in four of Lynchburg’s first five games, including two in one inning Saturday against Potomac.

“I pride myself on my defense,” Mercer said.

Forbes, for one, wasn’t terribly concerned. Mercer was playing his first week in high-A ball after splitting time last season between short-season State College and low-A Hickory. He made just 10 errors in 56 games in those two stops.

“We just reminded him to stay aggressive,” Forbes said. “This field, early in the season, plays a little slower. The grass is a little thicker, a little longer. It’s just natural for it to be that way. He’s got to find his hop and play through it. Tell you the truth, I wasn’t too concerned about it. Just let him settle in and play.”

Forbes and Mercer were particularly proud of the way the team battled Wednesday night in less-than-ideal conditions. Winston-Salem led 4-2 with one out in the bottom of the eighth on a night where temperatures dipped into the 40s and a light mist was ever present, conditions ripe for forced, time-to-go-home at-bats.

Instead, Eddie Prasch worked a one-out walk, Jose De Los Santos slammed a ball up the middle that pitcher Matt Zaleski mishandled, allowing the speedy De Los Santos to reach, and Mercer rapped the home run for the lead.

“Any time you do that, it unifies the team,” Mercer said. “We’re a bunch of guys who met at spring training.

“Some of might have been here before, but a lot of us haven’t. Any time you get a win like this, a team comes together. It’s important early.”