Storm strikes first in Nuts' showdown

A special relationship between the players and fans has developed at John Thurman Field this season, and it showed up again Monday night in the final moment of a rare Nuts' home loss.

As Josh Rutledge swung and missed at a fastball for the final out of a 5-3 Lake Elsinore, a gasp of interesting timbre rose from the small but vocal crowd of 1,525.

It was equal parts disappointment and utter shock, as if they fully expected yet another late-inning rally from the team that has concocted 10 walk-off wins among its 40 home wins this season.

"I heard it," said Nuts manager Jerry Weinstein. "It was big group groan at the end of the game when Rutledge struck out because they're expecting a comeback every night. Ideally, we can't put ourselves in that position where we have to come back."

But in this case, a four-run fifth-inning uprising off Modesto starter Parker Frazier (10-11) was all Lake Elsinore needed to grab the win in the opener of this three-game set between division leaders.

The Storm leads Rancho Cucamonga by one-half game in the South Division second-half race, while Modesto's lead over San Jose in the North was trimmed to 1½ games with 13 games remaining.

Should the Nuts stumble in the second half race, they remain 4½ games clear of Bakersfield in the battle for the final wild card berth.

Lake Elsinore led 1-0 in the fifth before scoring four runs in a three-pitch span.

With two outs and runners at first and second, Raymond Fuentes ripped an RBI double into the left-field corner. Jeudy Valdez then jumped on a 1-0 pitch and sent it on a line over the fence in left.

"I threw a first pitch ball, and I had been getting ahead of hitters with off-speed stuff," Frazier said.

"I left a changeup up in the zone and he was able to hook it out down the line. Sometimes the game doesn't treat you well and guys will get hits even when you make your pitches."

Just like that, the Storm had a 5-0 lead, with starting pitcher Jose DePaula (10-5) rolling along. The lefty gave up two two-out hits in the first to Josh Rutledge and Nolan Arenado, but those were the lone Nuts' baserunners entering the sixth.

Orlando Sandoval led off the sixth with a single and moved to third on Elizer Mesa's double off the glove of first baseman Nate Freeman. Rutledge hit the next pitch down the left field line for a two-run double, bringing life to the Modesto dugout.

Modesto scored its final run in the seventh on David Christensen's fifth home run of the season, all of which have come at Thurman Field.

Despite stranding runners in scoring position in the seventh and eighth, the Nuts' faithful continued to believe, all the way up until the final swing.

"I've always felt, especially within the hardcore season ticket holders that win or lose, they're behind us," Weinstein said.

"The fan base is fabulous here and they genuinely care. Most of them understand the dynamics of the game and know you're not going to win every night."

Bee staff writer Brian VanderBeek can be reached at bvanderbeek@modbee.com or (209) 578-2300. Follow him at twitter.com/modestobeek.