Former Joliet Catholic Academy right-handed pitcher Kevin Cameron was recalled to the San Diego Padres earlier this week, and on Thursday night, he was involved in the longest major league game since 1993.
Cameron worked the 14th inning of the Padres’ 22-inning, 2-1 loss to Colorado. When he entered, the game was scoreless. He allowed the Rockies’ first run on a bases-loaded walk on a 3-2 pitch, but the Padres tied it in the bottom of the 14th, and they played on, and on.
Cameron has been in two games with San Diego and has pitched three innings with a 3.00 ERA. He began the season at Triple-A Portland after a nightmarish spring training.
He missed time in the spring with a hamstring injury, a broken left thumb suffered when he was hit by a batted ball while running in the outfield and a bout with the flu, which mlb.com reported caused him to lose 12 pounds.
“It was just a nightmare,” Cameron was quoted.
Cameron allowed one earned run in 6 1/3 innings and had four strikeouts during his brief stint at Portland.
A few former local standouts have been on the field in Triple-A. That group includes infielder Chris Basak from Minooka and left-handed pitchers Carmen Pignatiello from Providence Catholic and Brian Mazone and Tim Byrdak, who are former Joliet JackHammers.
Basak is with the Twins’ Triple-A team at Rochester and has six hits in 29 at-bats.
Pignatiello was with the Cubs briefly to begin the season and now is pitching in relief for Iowa, where he has a 3.00 ERA in three innings. Right-hander Billy Petrick from Morris is a teammate of Pignatiello’s at Iowa but is not ready to pitch as yet.
Mazone is back with the Phillies after toiling last year in Korea. He is 1-2 with a 5.00 ERA but has struck out 13 and walked just 1 batter in 18 innings.

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