'Tune-up' has Randall riding smoothly again Randall again ight-hander Scott Randall, R an the 11th-round Colorado draft Rockies pick in by 1995, seemed to be on cruise control for his first four seasons of professional baseball. He was headed right up the minor-league ladder, having success at every level, some of that success of the spectacular variety. He pitched a no-hitter in 1996 at Class A Asheville and threw 11 no-hit innings in another outing only to get a no-decision. But this year, when he advanced Bill Woodward from a good season in Double-A at New Haven in 1998 to start the year at Triple-A Colorado Springs, he struggled after wining his first start. After going 1-4 with a 7.93 ERA and falling out of the starting rotation, the Rockies sent Randall back to the Double-A Carolina Mudcats. "It was a bump in the road," Randall said Thursday at Five County Stadium. "The coaches told me that the game kind of tests you every once in a while. You can't go through it smooth and easy all the time. You just have to keep your head up, and it will start going ahead again." Kind of like putting on the brakes and hitting the resume button on the cruise. Which is what Randall did, after a little "tune-up" in his mechanics. "I could see where the problems were that he was having in Triple-A," Mudcats manager Jay Loviglio said. "He was a little bit tentative, cutting off a lot of his pitches. That usually comes with a lack of success, a lack of confidence. It's just something that a pitcher goes through when he starts losing that confidence. With the kind of stuff that Randall has, he can't afford to do that." Randall is not overpowering, SCOUTING REPORT WEST TENN DIAMOND JAXX Double-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs, at Carolina Mudcats Wednesday through Saturday Top prospects: RHP Chris Gissell is rated the No. 3 prospect in the Cubs organization by Baseball America; 3-8 with a 5.99 ERA. Notes: OF Tarrick Brock, who began the season with the Mudcats, is now with the Diamond Jaxx. ... The Diamond Jaxx won the first-half title in the Southern League in a one-game playoff with the Huntsville Stars. SCRANTON RED BARONS Triple-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies, at Durham Bulls Tuesday through Friday Note: Scranton/Wilkes-Barre leads the IL's North Division by 1 1/2 games over Pawtucket. ... 2B Torey Luvullo is among the Red Barons' offensive leaders with 13 homers and 70 RBIs. TOLEDO MUD HENS Triple-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers, at Durham Bulls beginning Saturday Notes: OF Patrick Lennon is a Whiteville native. ... C Walt McKeel is from Stantonsburg. OF Pedro Swann is a former Durham Bull. ... 1B Dave McCarty has 20 homers. with a fastball in the 88-91 mph range. But when he is pitching effectively, his two-seam fastball becomes a wicked sinker, the kind that can leave hitters swinging at air or hitting weak groundballs. "He has quality movement on his sinker," Loviglio said. "With each outing, he has gotten a little more aggressive. [Pitching coach] Jerry [Cram] has worked with him in the bullpen to get that extension back, to get the movement back on his pitches." The sink is back, and the opposing batters are getting that sinking feeling again. Randall pitched eight shutout innings in his last start, striking out 13 and giving up only one hit. Unfortunately, he had to settle for a no-decision when the Mudcats lost 1-0 to Chattanooga in 12 innings. "Now, he's throwing the ball 'downhill,' " Loviglio said. "His ball was alive, with movement." Big-league stuff. "The way he pitched the other night," Cram said, "he could have pitched in the big leagues." Randall, who is now 2-3 with a 2.74 ERA since joining the Mudcats in mid-June, has dealt with the demotion to Double-A in winning fashion. It was the first "bump" in what he hopes i is the road to the majors. "I'd like to think that I have learned something from this year, from the ups and downs" Randall said. "It's not really anything I can say, it's just experiencing it. ... I've got a ways to go this season, but I've tried to make the most of it." Loviglio has been impressed with Randall's rebound. "His transition from a tentative pitcher, a guy who had lost some confidence, to where he is now is a credit to how hard he and Jerry [Cram] have worked," Loviglio said. "I think we are all pleased with how quick it has gone. "Sometimes you have to take a step back to take two steps forward." TRIPLE PLAY: Robbie Kent made Mobile BayBears history last week when he turned the club's first-ever triple play. And he didn't need any help. Greenville opened the third inning of Monday's Southern at League game with consecutive singles by Adam Johnson and Wes Helms, both former Durham Bulls. Steve Goodell then worked a full count, and the Braves sent the runners on the 3-2 pitch. Goodell hit a liner to second that baseman Kent, who stepped on second and then tagged Helms to complete the triple play. The unassisted triple play helped the BayBears win 5-4. Bill Woodward can be reached at 829-8952 or billw@nando.com