Cloude Has Weathered Worst

Ken Cloude has a chance to extend his winning streak to seven games tonight, which is a pretty good trick, considering he gave up nine runs in less than four innings his last time out.

Cloude’s teammates bailed him out Sunday by scoring enough runs for him to get a no-decision, even though the JetHawks eventually lost.

“I just wasn’t concentrating,” he said. “I was just expecting good things to happen to me and they didn’t.”

That experience has left him eager to get back on the mound and shrink his earned-run average back to where it had been. It swelled from 3.23 to 4.03 after Sunday’s game.

“Just when you think you’ve got the game [figured out], it comes up and bites you,” Cloude said. “I had been thinking I was a lot better than I was and hopefully this will bring me back down to earth.”

*

Bakersfield Blaze catcher Chris Paxton, a year removed from Palmdale High, said hitting a home run Wednesday night at the Hangar was the most-memorable moment of his short pro career.

Considering his inexperience, Paxton, 19, is not doing badly in a league in which most players are 21 to 24 with two or three seasons under their belts. Through Wednesday, he was hitting .245 with five home runs and 21 runs batted in.

“I wouldn’t say I’m doing good yet,” he said, “but it’s definitely better than when I started.”

*

Bakersfield was forced to play with only nine available position players Thursday night. Pitcher Mark Lukasiewicz was in the lineup as a designated hitter, batting ninth. The Blaze was short-handed because outfielder Kyle Towner was injured Wednesday in a collision at first base.

*

Tonight’s Game:

JetHawks (Ken Cloude, 8-2, 4.03) at High Desert (Hut Smith, 1-0, 4.82), 7:05.