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Changes in store for Peanuts' bullpen

Paul Dehner Jr.

ALBANY — South Georgia Peanuts manager Wally Backman took a glance down the stat sheet before Thursday night’s game and could only lament frustration over what he read.

Pointing out a setup man in Jason Blanton with a 8.64 ERA and closer in Josh Cowles with a 9.58 ERA, he continued to run through his bullpen’s inflated numbers.

Based on that, his next statement was fairly blunt.

“There are going to be some changes on the pitching staff,” he said. “It will be before we hit the road again.”

Overall, the Peanuts are fourth in the league in pitching, but this comes after they led the league in pitching through the majority of the early part of the season.

Indications were he was leaning toward releasing or trading two or three of the current relievers.

Backman even moved reliever Ja Jones into the closer role Wednesday night for the first time this year.

Jones, who only joined the team two weeks ago, has been admirable since. He has allowed two runs in eight innings, providing needed stability in the bullpen.

INJURY EXCHANGE

The Peanuts welcomed back cleanup hitter Doc Brooks to the lineup for the first time since hurting his wrist on a diving catch one week ago.

Brooks was hitting .294 and still leads the team with six doubles despite his absence.

Unfortunately for South Georgia, the return of one veteran hitter was accompanied by the loss of another. Recent addition Mike Caruso — runner-up for the American League Rookie of the Year in 1998 — who strained his groin during the Aiken series.

The injury is day-to-day, but pushed back the long-awaited debut of the Caruso-Steve Garrabrants-Brooks-Jon Zeringue combination in the middle of the order.

All four have played at least at the Double-A level and would represent one of the most potent and veteran tandems in the league.

WIRTH TONIGHT

Shannon Wirth will earn the start for the Peanuts in the Peanuts second game of this “Peach Series‚” tonight against the Macon Music.

Wirth is jumping the order ahead of Dustin Taylor because in his last outing he only threw 50 pitches before a rain delay occurred.

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