Rangers recall RHP Joaquin Benoit for Wednesday start

(ARLINGTON, Texas) - The Texas Rangers recalled pitcher Joaquin Benoit from Triple-A Oklahoma to start Thursday's game against the Chicago White Sox. <br><br>The right-hander was to make the start

Thursday, May 9th 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

(ARLINGTON, Texas) - The Texas Rangers recalled pitcher Joaquin Benoit from Triple-A Oklahoma to start Thursday's game against the Chicago White Sox.

The right-hander was to make the start in place of right-hander Ismael Valdes, who was scratched from his scheduled start because of lower-back stiffness.

To make room for Benoit, left-handed reliever Randy Flores was optioned to Oklahoma.

Benoit is 3-2 with a 2.37 earned-run average in six starts for the RedHawks. His only previous major-league appearance came in a spot start Aug. 8, 2001 against Detroit.

In five innings, he gave up eight hits and six runs, all earned, struck out four and walked three. Three of the hits he gave up were home runs.

The 24-year-old hurler is tied for second in the Pacific Coast League in strikeouts with 40 and has the league's sixth-lowest ERA.

Flores is 0-0 with a 2.45 ERA in seven appearances with Texas.

Benoit becomes the 18th pitcher to be placed on the Rangers' active roster this season and the eighth to start a game.