CHAMPIONSHIP BRACKET: BAEZA'S ARM'S FINISHED, BUT POLY ISN'T POLY 16, FRANKLIN 0.

Byline: Sean Ceglinsky Staff Writer

Eddie Baeza and Poly of Sun Valley's fears became reality Friday.

Despite an easy 16-0, five-inning victory over Franklin of Los Angeles in a City Section first-round playoff game, the Parrots will be without their ace on the mound for the remainder of the playoffs.

A MRI revealed the highly touted right-hander has a partial ligament tear in his throwing elbow that will require surgery.

``If I pitched him, it would be like playing Russian roulette,'' Poly coach Chuck Schwal said. ``Some guys can pitch with (the injury) and he definitely can, but not while I'm the coach. Even if everybody in his family and a doctor said he could go and it wouldn't hurt him, I still wouldn't feel comfortable.

``If he has 'Tommy John' surgery, he could come back stronger. He's a young man. He'll bounce back.''

Perhaps, but that is small consolation for Baeza, whom Baseball America projected as a fourth- or fifth-round draft pick in the Major League Baseball Amateur Draft June 4 and 5.

``It's disappointing,'' Baeza said. ``I wasn't really in pain, so when I found out there was a tear, I couldn't believe it. I feel like I could still go out there and throw. It's just that I don't want to damage anything else.''

All is not lost for Baeza and the Parrots, who sent 15 batters to the plate in the first inning and scored 11 runs.

Daniel Flores and Guillermo Lopez each began the inning with walks. Flores scored on a single by Miguel Gomez, who finished 4 for 4 with three runs and three RBI. Baeza followed with a triple, scoring Lopez and Gomez and the rout was on for the Parrots (18-11), who host Cleveland of Reseda (18-11) in Tuesday's quarterfinal.

Flores did exactly what a leadoff hitter should - the senior reached base in each of his four at-bats and scored three times. Baeza, who will still be able to DH, hit two triples and had four RBI to increase his season total to 55, best among area City players.

With all the run support, starter Daniel Mercurio gave up one hit with five strikeouts in four innings to earn the victory.

The only thing that Franklin was able hit with any consistency was the Poly batters, six times.