Michael Antonini, Nate Eovaldi, Will Savage, Allen Webster and Chris Withrow have given the Chattanooga Lookouts the strongest pitching rotation in the Southern League.
So where are they?
For two straight nights the Lookouts have turned elsewhere for their starting pitcher, and for two straight nights they have lost. Roy Corcoran started Monday night at AT&T Field after being signed by the Los Angeles Dodgers as a free agent, and he lasted just three innings in an 11-1 collapse against Huntsville.
"We've got some top brass coming in to see certain pitchers, so we've had to make some adjustments and change the rotation around," Lookouts pitching coach Chuck Crim said. "The last couple of days we've had to do what we've had to do. It's tough all the way around because we get in a routine, and it can be hard to change that routine.
"We've had some good work sessions, but it's interesting. It's all about moving these kids up and helping the Los Angeles Dodgers win."
Expected to lead the visiting contingent is Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti. When asked if Colletti's visit and the reshuffling of the rotation is related to the July 31 trade deadline, Crim said, "I think it is more promotion related than trade-deadline related.
Chattanooga (8-4) entered the Fourth of July league schedule first in team earned run average at 3.54.
The 31-year-old Corcoran, whose younger brother Tim was a spot starter for the 2009 Lookouts, walked four, committed a fielding error and balked in a run. His balk was in the first inning, and his fielding error occurred in the third and loaded the bases following Matt Cline's leadoff bunt single and Sean Halton's infield hit.
Eric Komatsu's single to right field scored Cline and Halton to make it 3-0, and Zelous Wheeler's ensuing double to center put the Stars up 4-0. Huntsville (7-5) wound up scoring four in the third and four again in the sixth, when Halton had a two-run single to center and Komatsu a two-run home run to right that capped the scoring.
Huntsville starter Michael Friers pitched eight innings and allowed three hits while striking out seven. Chattanooga's only mound highlights came very late, when Ethan Martin struck out four in two innings and middle infielder Wilberto Ortiz worked a 1-2-3 ninth in nine pitches.
"It [stinks] the way we played," said right fielder Kyle Russell, who drove in Chattanooga's run. "I'm not very happy about this loss, but that's the good thing about baseball. You just come out the next day and keep on playing."
Monday's game drew a crowd of 6,384, and it sold out at the end of the second inning. The sellout was the third this season at AT&T.
The Lookouts continued their tradition of wearing patriotic uniforms, with this year's version displaying stars on the sleeves and stripes across the front. A jersey auction was held throughout the game, with Russell's jersey going for $150, Scott Van Slyke's for $120 and Withrow's for $110.
Withrow (3-5, 4.13 ERA) is scheduled to start tonight's 7:15 game for the Lookouts, with Cody Scarpetta (4-4, 4.73) scheduled for the Stars.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.