Closer Thompson Leaves the Door Open

With a few good outings, John Thompson can get his earned-run average back below his hat size.

It’s been one of those weeks for the JetHawks’ reliever. In two appearances, he was 0-2, blowing ninth-inning leads of at least two runs each time. He gave up six runs in two innings.

“This is definitely a funk,” Thompson said Friday, a day after giving up four runs in the ninth inning of a 6-5 loss to the Lake Elsinore Storm. “This is not me. This not anyone. No one should be getting hit this hard.

“Talk to me in a few weeks. It’ll turn around.”

Thompson, a 23-year-old right-hander, has a 9.31 ERA and opponents are hitting .381 against him. There is a bright side.

“It’s not like I’m walking the ballpark,” he said.

True. He’s walked only two batters in 9 2/3 innings.

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Manager Dave Brundage threw a changeup at his catchers on Friday by making Scot Sealy the starter two days in a row. Brundage was alternating Sealy and Dusty Wathan, but he said he wanted to shake things up so both would always be ready to play.

Sealy had a mixed night Thursday. He hit his third home run of the season. He also broke his favorite bat, which he insists he had used since the start of last season. Brundage is cynical about Sealy’s claim: “Sealy tells a lot of fish stories. He’s from Alabama.”

Second baseman Jason Cook was out of the starting lineup Friday because he fouled a ball off his left calf on Thursday and it had become swollen. Cook has only missed one other game.

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Tonight’s Game:

Rancho Cucamonga (Keith Davis, 1-0, 3.24) at JetHawks (Ken Cloude, 1-0, 1.99), 7:15.