MacLane isn’t overpowering but he’s now 5-0 with the Tides

Tides leftfielder Michael Tucker makes a catch off the bat of Syracuse’s Wayne Lydon in the top of the third inning Monday night. (JASON HIRSCHFELD/SPECIAL TO THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT)

By RICH RADFORD
The Virginian-Pilot

NORFOLK — Al Davis, the eccentric owner of the Oakland Raiders who coined the phrase “Just win, baby,” would absolutely love Evan MacLane.

The 23-year-old lefthanded pitcher doesn’t do anything all that fancy. He has a below average fastball and looks more like a young man who should be interning this summer for a law firm.

But he wins.

Oh, does he win.

He did just that again Monday night, despite turning in a performance that by his own standards was sub-par. Still, he went 5u2154 innings and ran his record with the Norfolk Tides to 5-0 as the Tides beat the Syracuse SkyChiefs 7-5 Monday night at Harbor Park.

Combining his 3-1 record with the Double-A Binghamton Mets earlier this spring, he is 8-1 this season and leads all New York Mets minor-league pitchers in victories.

He is now 34-13 in three-plus years of professional baseball. Before that, he was 25-5 at Feather River Junior College. And it wasn’t his grades that landed him in junior college.

“I threw about 78 miles per hour coming out of high school and no Division I schools made me an offer,” MacLane said. “My goal in junior college was to get a Division I college scholarship. After my sophomore year, I signed with the University of Hawaii and was set to go there, but pro scouts were suddenly coming to my games. I told myself that if I was drafted in the first 25 rounds that year, I’d sign and play pro baseball.

“Wouldn’t you know the Mets would draft me in the 25th round? They offered me a $7,500 signing bonus.

“I’m 23 and I’m in Triple-A. I’d like to think I made the right decision.”

He’s won at every level of professional baseball since then and as Tides interim manager Tony Tijerina said, “If he keeps pitching like this he’ll start drawing attention to himself. You just can’t deny the numbers or the success. You can’t argue with his performances.”

MacLane actually gave up five runs Monday, three of them earned, as his earned-run average increased to 2.35. He gave up 11 hits, but walked none and struck out four.

“I struggled a little bit, but it was my own fault,” MacLane said. “I didn’t hit my spots with all of my pitches.”

MacLane and Tijerina agree that since he’s not a flamethrower, it could be a bit more difficult for him to make the jump to the major leagues. But they also agree on one specific aspect of his outings now that he’s got a few Triple-A games beneath his belt: How he does against the more experienced hitters will be a key barometer.

“It’s all about the tougher match-ups now,” Tijerina said. “We want to see how he fares against guys with major league time, the really good hitters in Triple-A.”

MacLane knows it all too well.

“Since my fastball is in the mid-80s, I’m going to be tested with every pitch I throw,” MacLane said. “I just have to get those guys who’ve played at the high level out, and make the Mets’ decisions a little easier.”

Notes: Chase Lambin went 3 for 4 with an RBI to pace the Tides Monday. Four other Tides had multi-hit games: Anderson Hernandez, Jose Offerman, Victor Diaz and Julio Ramirez. . . . Tonight is Turn Back the Clock Night at Harbor Park, which means it’s a whole lot cheaper to eat at the ballpark this evening. The Tides will wear old-time uniforms, and hot dogs, soft drinks and popcorn will go for 25 cents each.