Of Schon and rain

I was watching part of Fox Sports Pittsburgh's telecast of the game Saturday against Windy City and found it interesting how manager John Massarelli described pitcher Andy Schon. "He's a right-handed Jamie Moyer," Massarelli told broadcasters Stan Savran and Chris Peters.

This was same thing I was thinking during the game. That was probably because I watched Moyer baffle the Pirates a week or so ago with an 83 mph fastball and a assortment of slow-and-slower breaking balls and changeups.

Schon frustrated Windy City's hitters by throwing a slow, sweeping, biting curveball for strikes, then sneaking an average fastball past a few batters. It was fun to watch. Schon was pitching, not just throwing. It also showed that if you can throw your breaking ball for strikes, then you'll do very well in the Frontier League.

Though it's hard to call a game in the first week of August big, you can make a case that Schon's six innings were the most important of the season by a Wild Things pitcher. Not only did that performance help win the series against Central Division-leading Windy City, it came on a night when Florence was swept in a doubleheader and Chillicothe lost at Gateway. Schon helped the Wild Things gain 1 1/2 games on Florence and a game on Chillicothe.

* With the rainout Sunday at Slippery Rock, a doubleheader has been scheduled for tonight (6:05 p.m.) at Jack Critchfield Park along with a doubleheader Thursday Aug. 30 at Consol Energy Park. That means the Wild Things will conclude the regular season with a five-game series at home against Slippery Rock.