Inside Pitch

Bisons spring training, er, playing out the string continues today in Dunn Tire Park with the opening of a homestand against the Rochester Red Wings and the Herd has another new starting pitcher called up from Double-A Akron. It's red-hot left-hander Scott Lewis, an Ohio State grad who was 6-2 with a 2.33 ERA for the Aeros.

But that doesn't tell nearly the story. Lewis has given up just two earned runs in his last seven starts over 44 1/3 innings for sick ERA of 0.41 but he's only 3-0 in that stretch. The Indians' third-round pick in 2004, he was 7-9, 3.68 last year for Akron and wasn't thought of as a hot prospect much anymore. That thinking has certainly changed now.

IF/OF Jerad Head, batting just .224 at Class A Kinston, has been called up today as well to play third base. Morgan Ensberg is on the temporary inactive list for today's game but is expected back for Friday night's contest.

Here's today's lineup for the series opener:

Trevor Crowe, rf

Jorge Velandia, ss

Jordan Brown, 1b

Todd Linden, lf

Jason Cooper, dh

Chris Gimenez, c

Brad Snyder, cf

Jerad Head, 3b

Andy Cannizaro, 2b

---Mike Harrington