Nuts win big, pull even with Rawhide

Still alive. Still kicking. Still drawing beads of sweat on the foreheads of the Visalia Rawhide.

The Modesto Nuts, 10-3 winners Sunday afternoon over the error-ridden Inland Empire 66ers, once again pushed back their expiration date. And now there's only one game left.

Or, as Nuts manager/poker-buff Jerry Weinstein put it, "As long as you have a chip, you've got a chair."

Five days ago, Modesto trailed Visalia by four games with six left in their duel for a California League wild-card berth. Five straight wins later, the Nuts have caught the slumping Rawhide (both are 72-67 for the season) after Modesto's latest win coupled with Visalia's 4-3 loss at San Jose.

Which renders the magic number as moot as junk mail.

Modesto will finish today at 1:05 p.m. against Inland Empire at John Thurman Field, 55 minutes earlier than the San Jose-Visalia first pitch. If the Nuts and Rawhide remain tied after today, they'll collide Tuesday night at Visalia in a one-game playoff.

"We don't need to put any more pressure on ourselves," Nuts third baseman Joe Sanders said. "Just go out there and play loose and keep winning."

Think about it: The Nuts, their suitcases all but packed for their trip home after they dropped three out of four to the Rawhide, suddenly like their chances. And who can blame them?

"We're just playing our game, the same way we have been," centerfielder Tim Wheeler said. "We're running some wins together down the stretch."

Al the Almond did a cartwheel minutes after Modesto's emphatic victory, witnessed by 1,738 at sunny Thurman Field. Even Al and Wally the Walnut could appreciate the Nuts blowing through a 2-0 deficit and breathing in the energy provided by four Inland Empire errors.

The Modesto streak has been based on better starting pitching and timely hitting, and both kicked in Sunday. Parker Frazier (2-2) went five innings and retired eight of his last nine after allowing two runs in the second.

The Nuts launched their comeback in the fourth on a single by Mike Zuanich (3 for 5), a double by Ben Paulsen and a sacrifice fly by Sanders. Then came help from the visitors.

A throwing error by pitcher Jon Michael Redding (4-10) preceded Dustin Garneau's single to right. Jimmy Cesario scored while, behind him, Chandler Laurent raced home from first when the ball rolled beneath the glove of rightfielder Andres Perez. Modesto didn't trail again.

"It's momentum. All that stuff is momentum," Wheeler said. "When things start falling into place, hits are dropping everywhere."

How hot are the Nuts, you ask? They botched a two-strike suicide squeeze (it was bunted foul by Garneau for a strikeout) and still plated three runs in the sixth. Modesto followed the mistake with four consecutive hits, including Wheeler's two-run single to center on an 0-2 pitch.

"They erased the coaching error," Weinstein said. "We had some world-class at-bats."

David Christensen (2 for 4, 4 RBIs) lofted a three-run homer to left in the seventh, his eighth of the season and the last of 14 Modesto hits this day. The Nuts defense did its part by contributing three double plays.

Today, Modesto will turn to Ethan Hollingsworth (11-8, 3.40), its most experienced pitcher, for Game 140. How correct that the final regular-season game is the most important.

"He's the right guy to have the ball," Weinstein said. "Everything lines up right, but that doesn't guarantee anything."

Guarantees aside, the Nuts beat tall odds to get here.

Bee staff writer Ron Agostini can be reached at ragostini@modbee.com or 578-2302.