Wingnuts combine new with old, sweep doubleheader from Lemurs

When things begin to finally fall into place, it’s only natural to want that feeling to last as long as possible.

The Wingnuts got extra time with some positive vibes on Tuesday, sweeping a doubleheader from Laredo with 5-1 and 6-1 seven-inning wins at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium.

Wichita used contributions from new additions, old standbys and the starting pitching of Jon Link, who is a combination of both, to reach its first three-game winning streak since early June.The Wingnuts (25-20) took a two-game lead over Laredo for second in the American Association South.

“We always say pitching sets the tone, and those were some pretty good guys we threw out there tonight,” Wingnuts manager Kevin Hooper said of Link and Game 1 starter Tim Brown, who didn’t allow an earned run in five innings apiece. “It’s good to see Link back, to have him back. That’ll change some things. He’ll give us a shot every night he goes out there.”

Link returned to the Wingnuts on Tuesday after he was recently released by the Miami Marlins organization. In one of his final starts of 2014, the right-handed Link set a Wingnuts record with 17 strikeouts, and his addition stabilizes a pitching staff that has endured recent defections.

Wichita was missing an ace after Anthony Capra left to play in the Mexican League last month and were depleted by Charlie Lowell’s elbow injury and Scott Richmond’s departure to represent Canada in the Pan-American Games. Link slots into the front of the rotation with intangibles that can help the Wingnuts just as much as his pitching ability.

“He’s fiery and he wants to win,” Wingnuts third baseman T.J. Mittelstaedt said. “He’s not going to be any different any other start. If they get hits, he’s not going to be happy. He really helps our staff. He takes pressure off everybody else, because they know he’s going to put in a good effort.”

The Wingnuts have been similarly transformed on the field even since a 16-7 win at Amarillo on Sunday. Outfielder Jayce Ray was activated from the disabled list on Monday and second baseman Starlin Rodriguez made his debut on Tuesday, delivering an RBI single before he left Game 1 after fouling a ball off his shin.

Rodriguez presumably solves Wichita’s weeks-old middle-infield question, created when Alberto Gonzalez was sold to the Detroit Tigers organization.

A lineup with Ray and Rodriguez, and a rotation featuring Link, gives both groups depth they’ve been missing and gives Hooper cause to believe Wichita is out of the swoon that saw it lose nine of 12 games in late June.

“That’s my mentality – we’re going to figure it out eventually,” Hooper said. “I love to work, and I would never let this thing (stagnate). We’ve had a lot of success, and there’s bound to be a time when you’re going to fail. As far as I’m concerned, there’s nothing wrong with a little adversity, and that’s what’s been going on here.”

Hooper said the response is most important, and the Wingnuts have a good start with 27 runs in their last three games. The final three hitters in both of Tuesday’s lineups – Luis Hernandez, Taylor Oldham and Ray – combined for seven hits, two walks and eight runs.

In Game 2, Mittelstaedt stole some of the spotlight, clearing the bases with a three-run triple in the fourth that put Wichita ahead 5-0 before Mittelstaedt made it 6-0 when he scored on an error on the play. That gave Mittelstaedt four RBIs in the game and 10 since Sunday, perhaps a product of extra work with hitting coach Jose Amado.

“(I’m) just not trying to do too much,” Mittelstaedt said. “The less that I try to do, the more that I hit the ball on the barrel and good things happen. A couple weeks ago I was really jumping at the ball, but we’ve got that settled down and I’m seeing the ball a lot better.

“I haven’t walked much lately because I’m not fouling off pitches to hit. That’s what was happening – I was missing pitches I could hit and ended up walking.”

This story was originally published July 7, 2015 at 10:58 PM with the headline "Wingnuts combine new with old, sweep doubleheader from Lemurs."