Roemer shows glimmers of perfection

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Roemer shows glimmers of perfection
07/08/2008 2:05 AM ET
By Steve Conley / Special to MLB.com

Wes Roemer had a hard time keeping his mind off the perfect game he was throwing Monday night. But he won't lose any sleep over losing the bid, though.
Roemer yielded a one-out triple to Daniel Mayora in the seventh inning as he led the Visalia Oaks to a 4-2 win over the Modesto Nuts at John Thurman Field.
Roemer (5-7) retired the first 19 batters he faced before Mayora's hit. He ended up allowing two runs on three hits while striking out six en route to his second straight win. Scott Maine struck out the side in the ninth to notch his first save for the Oaks.
"It's tough not to think about it," Roemer said of pitching during a possible perfecto. "I did my best not to. I had thrown a no-hitter in high school and it's really hard to keep it out of your mind. I was throwing the ball well enough to get them out but it (stinks) because (thinking about it) did play a factor."
Roemer was 2-0 with a 2.59 ERA after five starts, but saw his ERA rise to 5.51 after losing five straight decisions from May 6 to June 3. His latest start was the second time in his last three starts that he went eight innings and marked the first time he has won back-to-back starts this season.
"It's been a pretty rough month. I think I was trying to do too much and trying to throw the ball too hard," he said. "Things are starting to get better and come more naturally and easy for me now. I was able to put the ball wherever I wanted to tonight. It's great to have that feeling where you have everything under control.
The Arizona Diamondbacks' first-round pick in 2007, Roemer threw 12 innings of relief over eight games for the Class A Short-Season Yakima Bears of the Northwest League. He had a 4.50 ERA with 18 strikeouts and just two walks.
Peter Clifford homered and drove in two runs, Mark Hallberg went 2-for-4 with an RBI and Evan Frey doubled and scored for the Oaks (9-9).
Nuts starter Keith Weiser (6-9) allowed three runs on seven hits while striking out five over seven innings to lose for the only the second time in his last seven starts.
Mike Paulk and Cole Garner drove in a run apiece for Modesto (10-8).
This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.