Shorthanded Cardinals Suffer Third Straight Loss

Playing without six starters and with a roster consisting of just nine players, a shorthanded Arlington Cardinals squad dropped its third straight game, losing 8-2 to Medford Thursday night at Spy Pond Field in Arlington.

"This is my sixth year on this team," said Arlington assistant coach George McCarthy, "and this is the first time in six years we've ever lost three games in a row."

The big blow for Arlington (9-4) came in the third inning, as Medford scored four two-out runs to take a 7-2 lead.  Justin Daal 's two-run single and Anthony Fusco's RBI double off of Arlington starting pitcher Mitch Cummings put the Cardinals in an early hole. Cummings settled down after that, allowing just one more run the rest of the way.  

"I actually thought he threw well," said McCarthy of his starter. "I told him, 'You pitched a good game against a good hitting team.' He stepped up, took the ball, and gave us seven innings.  Against a team like that, we made a few mistakes in the field.  They probably should've only got four or five legitimate runs off him."

Medford opened the game with a three-run first inning, featuring back-to-back, two-out RBI doubles by John McGonagle and Jake Parazzo. The Cardinals quickly responded in the bottom of the frame, as Cummings helped his own cause by knocking in two runs with a single to center, to cut the lead to 3-2.   

Arlington, however, only managed to get one baserunner into scoring position after the first inning, as Medford starter Tyler Finigan shut down the Cardinals the rest of the way.

"He threw well, he threw strikes," said McCarthy. "Their infield especially played extremely well and they didn't give us that extra out. A team like we had on the field tonight, we just needed a break and it didn't come."

The Cardinals have been shorthanded all week with several players on vacation, which has forced many of the team's younger players to fill regular roles. 

"The hardest thing about it when they're not starters, especially infield-wise, trying to cover bases, double plays, when they're not regulars they have to stop and think about it," said McCarthy. "Sometimes that split second in baseball is the difference between out and safe. Not that these kids that are playing aren't good, but a lot of them are 15 years old and young and they're up against 18 and 19 year-olds who are pitching, and they're just a little behind." 

The defending league champions expect to get most of their roster back by the weekend, and look to get back on the winning track.

"We're not worried," said McCarthy. "When we get our guys back, we'll be ok."