Kinston’s Espino stymies declawed Hillcats

Paolo Espino wasn’t always this dominant against the Hillcats. Back in June, Lynchburg knocked the Kinston starting pitcher around in back-to-back starts to the tune of 15 hits and nine earned runs.

But as the Hillcats’ lineup changed, so did Espino’s fortunes against Lynchburg. Facing the ’Cats for the second straight start, Espino tossed six scoreless innings as Kinston cruised to its seventh straight win, a 5-2 victory Tuesday night at City Stadium.

When Espino had his two rough outings against the ’Cats, they still had 2008 first-round draft pick Pedro Alvarez in the lineup. The second-half Hillcats have been a bit more tame offensively, and Espino has taken advantage. He took a no-hitter into the eighth inning against Lynchburg last week in Kinston. Tuesday, he allowed six hits and struck out six in six innings.

The Hillcats challenged Espino, with a runner reaching second in each of the last five innings Espino worked. But Lynchburg struggled to hit in the clutch. The ’Cats went 0-for-14 with runners in scoring position.

Espino and Hillcats starter Justin Wilson were locked in a pitcher’s duel until the sixth, when the Indians scored four runs. Wilson walked Cord Phelps to open the sixth, and ball four was his 82nd pitch of the night. Hillcats manager P.J. Forbes summoned reliever Moises Robles, who has been a touch unreliable of late.

Robles allowed a two-run single to Alex Castillo and a two-run double to Roman Pena — the eighth and ninth hitters in Kinston’s lineup — and the Indians took a 4-0 lead.

In his last two appearances, Robles has allowed 10 hits and 10 earned runs in two innings. Robles’ struggles undermined another strong start for Wilson — five-plus innings pitched, three hits, one earned run, three walks and three strikeouts. In his last 26 1/3 innings, Wilson has allowed just three earned runs.

Before the game, the ’Cats’ lineup got some unexpected help, as outfielder Jamie Romak returned after missing nearly a month with a broken right pinky finger. Romak went 1-for-4 with a single and a walk in his first action since July 13.

“He says he feels good,” Forbes said. “He’s taken batting practice the last four days, so we’ll give him a go. If he’s sore (today), then we’ll give him a day off. If not, we’ll run him back out there. We want to give him some at-bats and see where he’s at.”

Today, right-handed pitcher Bryan Morris returns to the Hillcats rotation. The Pirates placed Morris on the suspended list Aug. 1 for “unprofessional conduct” during a July 30 start against Frederick. He went to Bradenton, Fla., to work with the Pirates’ Gulf Coast League team, and he said he threw a six-inning simulated game last week.

Morris, one of the key parts of the Jason Bay trade last year, will get another shot at turning his season around today. He said the Pirates haven’t discussed the incident with him since suspending him.

“He knew before he left,” Forbes said. “That was all taken care of. It’s water under the bridge.

“We’re glad to have him back and look forward to having him back out there tomorrow.”

Said Morris: “I just want to get back out there and put this in the rearview mirror.”