Photos by Shar Higa

There was a good crowd in attendance for Long Beach’s first glimpse of Lima Time, but the clock on the Blair Field scoreboard must have been a little slow, as Jose Lima gave up seven runs to the Yuma Scorpions as the Fleet fell 7-5 in their first home game of the year.  Their record now stands at 8-6.

Lima dropped to 1-2 on the season after allowing seven runs and ten hits in just over six innings of work, as Yuma ripped him for two in the third (off Carlos Villalobos’ two-run homer) and another five in the fifth, capped by Reynaldo Rodriguez’s grand slam shot to left-center. 

Armada manager Garry Templeton said he thought Lima’s 11-day layoff caused him to hang the two pitches that went yard.  “Two pitches up, two home runs,” he said.  Templeton hopes the Armada’s extended home stand (they’re at Blair every night until Wednesday) will help the fans get to know his team, and help his team get back into their rhythm.  “As a baseball player you get used to playing every day.  That rhythm is important.”

Lima didn’t blame the long layoff—his last start was June 4th, a win against Yuma on their home field—but gave credit to his opposition.  “It was just one of those games,” he said.  “I have a lot of respect for the hitters in this league.  I try to approach every hitter the same way.  Two bad pitches, two home runs.”

The Armada were led offensively by Matt Edgecombe and Chadd Miller, who each had a hit and two RBIs—both drove in runs in the bottom of the fifth, when the Fleet put up three runs to cut the Scorpions’ lead to three.  Justin Segal and Rusty Jones pitched well in relief of Lima, combining to allow just one hit.

The series continues on Saturday night at 7:05pm, when Hideki Irabu (1-0) will start for the Armada and make his Blair Field debut.