Carrillo ripped at High Desert

By: DAMIAN SECORE - For The Californian | Thursday, September 1, 2005 12:42 AM PDT ∞

ADELANTO ---- Cesar Carrillo fought Mavericks Stadium for the first time and, being that hitting reigns supreme at High Desert, the law won.

Making his second start since rejoining the Storm from Class-AA Mobile, the Padres' 2005 first-round draft pick allowed his first grand slam, his most runs in a start as a professional and picked up his first loss in six pro decisions in High Desert's 10-2 victory before 1,345 fans.

"It's just one of thosethings that happen," said Carrillo, who gave up six runs on six hits in two innings. "I just threw my pitches that I wanted to pitch, and they hit good pitches. The home runs come out of here quicker. I got my first loss here, but it's no big deal."

While the Storm (27-37 second half, 68-65) had its five-game winning streak vanish, the Mavericks (38-28, 74-62)secured at least the South Division wild-card, and their first playoff berth since 2001. The Mavslead Lancaster by 3 1/2 games for the second-half division title and will clinch it with another win and a Lancaster loss.

Carrillo (1-1 with the Storm, 4-0 in Double-A) was on a 50-pitch limit. Cal League hits leader Angel Sanchez, the Mavs' second batter of the game,provided Carrillothe standard Mavericks Stadium introduction with a first-inning solo homer to left field.

After Sanchez's bunt single brought ina run in the second and kept the bases loaded, Chris Lubanski lifted a 1-2 offering into the wind stream and over the 415-foot mark in center. Lubanski (4-for-4, six RBIs), whoalso led off the seventh with a solo homer and was walked on four pitches with the bases loaded in the eighth, leads High Desert with 27 homers and 112 RBI.

Carrillo will be on a 75-pitch limit in his final regular-season start Monday. He has seengame action since the beginning of the year withthe University of Miami, and the lightened workloadwill keep him fresher fora probableGame 1 start in the South Division championship series Sept. 10 at The Diamond.

"My arm's feeling great. Nothing wrong with that," Carrillo said.

The game was a matchup of aces, and Mavericks left-hander John Gragg blanked the Storm on six hits in five innings inextending his scoreless innings streak against the Storm to 14.

Gragg (13-5) is 2-0 with three runs and 19 hits allowed in 26 innings (four starts) against the Storm. He threw a four-hit shutout at The Diamond in his previouis outing againstthe Storm (July 31), and is one of three Cal League pitchers to throw a complete-game shutout this season.

"I thought (Carrillo) wasn't trusting his fastball enough. He threw a lot more breaking balls than he usually does," Storm manager Rick Renteria said. "(Gragg's) tempo is very quick and he keeps the ball down. Tip your hat to him. To this point, obviously, he's done a good job against us."

Drew Maciasgot the Storm on the board against reliever Chris Coughlin in the sixth by pullinga solo home run, his sixth,to right.

Storm starter Dirk Hayhurst, scheduled to piggyback Carrillo,threw five innings after going sixand earning a win Saturday at Rancho Cucamonga and helped save a taxed Storm bullpen. While both bullpens had thrown 9 1/3 innings each over the first two games of this series,the Stormhad used seven relievers.

Center fielder Josh Howard, signed by the Padres on Aug. 3,joined the Storm on Wednesday after being called up from rookie ball in Peoria, Ariz. He did not play.