CEPEDA'S SON SO FAR NO MATCH FOR DAD.

Byline: Gideon Rubin Staff Writer

SAN JOSE - During their recent visit to San Jose, the JetHawks played against the son of one of the most distinguished players in recent baseball history.

San Jose Giants outfielder Ali Cepeda has yet to distinguish himself in his professional baseball career, but his father, former San Francisco Giants and St. Louis Cardinals great Orlando Cepeda, became only the second native of Puerto Rico to be inducted into the Hall of Fame last summer.

Until Cepeda's induction, Roberto Clemente had been the only other native of Puerto Rico to make it to Cooperstown.

Ali, 23, said his father's induction was a long time coming.

``We've been expecting it for some time now. Obviously my father has the numbers to be there,'' he said. ``It was very big for our family.''

The outfielder acknowledged that as the son of a legend, ``people are going to talk about you and people are going to put things on you. I just have to take deep breaths, keep going and just act like any normal guy, which I am.

``I just happen to have the last name of my father, who was a very good ballplayer,'' he said. ``That's going to be there my whole career and it's going to get more and more intense as I go along.''

The senior Cepeda's accomplishment was not only a source of pride for his family.

``It was a thrill to see him get inducted,'' said JetHawks pitcher Julio Ayala, a native of Puerto Rico.

``It made me feel good because I'm proud to be a Puerto Rican.''

--To everything, turn, turn, turn: Earlier in the season, the JetHawks' starting pitchers were dominant and the bullpen was struggling. And although Lancaster hitters were on a roll, its defense was doing an impersonation of the Bad News Bears.

In the past few weeks, the starting pitching has lacked consistency and it's been the bullpen that has been solid. And the JetHawks' offense, which leads the California League in hitting, has stalled, but the team is playing some of its best defense of the season.

Solid pitching performances from Josue Matos and Enmanuel Ulloa over the weekend notwithstanding, JetHawks starters have struggled. Over the past seven games, they have surrendered 28 earned runs and 51 hits in 36 1/3 innings.

The JetHawks' bullpen has allowed just five earned runs and 21 hits in its last 25 1/3 innings. JetHawks pitching coach Scott Budner said the key to the bullpen's recent success has been trying not to be too perfect early in the count.

``We're trying to catch more of the plate and get ahead earlier in the count,'' Budner said, ``instead of going corner to corner, we're going half to half.''

Budner said also he has been pulling some of his struggling relievers out of game situations for four days at a time to work with them on their mechanics, which is something he can afford to do with a 13-man pitching staff.

The JetHawks' offense, meanwhile, has produced just 18 runs in its last five games. The JetHawks average a California League-best 7.6 runs per game. Defensively, Lancaster has played two consecutive games of errorless ball and have three errors in its last five games.

``It usually goes in cycles,'' JetHawks manager Mark Parent said. ``We're not going to score seven or eight runs every night like we do in Lancaster, but we've definitely done a better job of catching the ball.''

--Unlucky number: The fifth inning has been a nightmare for JetHawks pitchers over the last seven games. In that span, Lancaster is 3-4 and its pitchers have allowed 21 runs.

The bulk of the fifth-inning damage has come in the four losses, in which opponents have scored 20 runs.

--MRI for Peanu: First baseman Peanut Williams, who has been dogged by a sore right elbow all season, was scheduled to have an MRI today. Williams has sat out the past two games because of the injury.

``It's been hurting all (season),'' he said.

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Photo: MARK PARENT

Manager says his JetHawks are doing a better job of catching the ball.