For Chergey, This Was a Home Run That Spanned a Continent : Baseball: Pitching in the Florida State League, he has rough outing, then is promoted two notches to triple-A Edmonton.

Minor league pitcher Dan Chergey didn’t allow a run for more than a month.

He averaged a strikeout per inning and fanned an average of five batters for each one that he walked.

Opponents were batting a measly .185.

There were rumors of a promotion to Portland, Me., home of the Florida Marlins’ double-A baseball affiliate.

Then he had a bad day.

And the next thing he knew, the former Thousand Oaks High standout was in triple-A.

Almost one year to the day after he signed with the Marlins as a 22nd-round draft choice from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Chergey was a member of the Edmonton Trappers, competing at a level only one step below the major leagues.

“You lose a game by giving up a big home run and you get promoted,” said Chergey, who allowed a two-out, two-run home run to lose, 6-5, against Daytona in his last Class-A outing.

It was the first homer--and only the 20th hit--that Chergey gave up in 31 2/3 innings over 25 games.

Go figure.

“That was probably my worst outing,” Chergey said by telephone last week from Albuquerque, N.M. “It’s funny how things work out.”

Chergey, a 23-year-old right-hander, is the only Marlin prospect this season to be promoted directly from Class A to Edmonton.

“Some guys catch lightning in a bottle,” said John Boles, the Marlins’ director of player development. “He’s really made improvement.”

Last season in the short-season Class-A New York-Penn League, Chergey had a record of 3-5 and an earned-run average of 3.50 as a starter for Elmira. He allowed an average of more than a hit per inning.

Even after he had a strong spring, Marlin officials initially balked at promoting him to Brevard County, which competes in the Florida State League, a high Class-A league.

“They’re both Class-A leagues, but (Brevard County is) a big jump,” Boles said.

Chergey, after making the transition from starter to relief pitcher during the spring, was up to the challenge.

Brevard County opened its season on April 7. Chergey gave up his first run on May 14, in his 15th appearance. He did far more than survive. He became the stopper for a first-place team, accumulating nine saves and earning a spot in the Florida State League all-star game in Port St. Lucie.

Chergey did not take part Saturday. He was playing a three-game series against Minnesota’s triple-A affiliate in Salt Lake City.

The series could be Chergey’s last with the Trappers this season. His promotion came because the Marlins had several major league pitchers on the disabled list.

Edmonton pitchers were called up to fill spots on the organization’s big league roster, leaving openings at triple-A. A few of those pitchers are ready to come back.

Chergey, who was promoted June 16, was told he would be with the Trappers for as little as four days or as long as two weeks.

It has been almost two weeks.

“They told me up front that staying up here wasn’t an option,” Chergey said.

“But that’s OK. I’m up here getting a taste of it.”

Boles said the Marlins chose to promote from within rather than sign a veteran free agent because Chergey would benefit from the experience.

“He’s a very competitive, hard-working guy,” Boles said. “He deserved a reward for his first half.”

Chergey attributes his success to improved arm strength and control. Also, his herky-jerky, three-quarter delivery might be better suited to relief work.

“It might be a little tougher for a hitter to see me one or two innings rather than have six innings to make an adjustment,” Chergey said.

“If they’re only seeing me once I probably have a little better chance at getting them out.”

So far, Chergey’s unorthodox style hasn’t been a mystery to triple-A batters.

In his first outing for Edmonton, he entered the game in the eighth inning with the Trappers leading, 4-2. Four hits--including back-to-back doubles--later, Edmonton was on its way to a 5-4 loss.

“I’ve been taking my licks up here,” said Chergey, who also was scored upon in his next two appearances. “It’s tough. I had all that success. Now this.”

Nerves haven’t been the problem. If anything, Chergey might be too relaxed.

“I think maybe I need to get a little ticked off and be more of a bulldog out there,” he said. “But really, I don’t feel like I’m pitching poorly. The breaks just haven’t been with me here and the results haven’t been the same.”

Boles said the Marlins won’t soon lose confidence in a pitcher who has fast become one of the steals in the 1993 draft.

“He’ll bounce back,” Boles predicted. “He’s got all the intangibles you look for. He’s intelligent and competitive, a bulldog-type guy, fearless on the mound. He’s one of those guys who might go a long way because of his makeup.”

He has already.