Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Weiser delivers another gem as Modesto defeats Visalia

By BRIAN VanderBEEK
bvanderbeek@modbee.com

last updated: April 28, 2008 03:08:41 AM

Following Sunday's 5-2 victory over Visalia, Modesto Nuts starter Keith Weiser was asked to give a scouting report on two pitchers in the Colorado organization.

"We throw four pitches for strikes and keep batters off balance," Weiser said. "We both don't strike a lot of guys out, but we get outs, which is what happens when you throw strikes."

The word "we" indicates Weiser was talking about himself. The pitcher to which he was comparing himself (but only by request) was Brandon Hynick, who won 16 games last year for Modesto.

Weiser is a left-hander, Hynick a right-hander. California League hitters last season and this are having equal trouble making solid contact against either.

In front of a well-baked afternoon crowd of 2,448 at John Thurman Field, Weiser allowed two runs and five hits over seven innings. In leveling his record at 2-2, Weiser actually saw his ERA rise from 2.42 to 2.45, ranking him in the top three among the league's lefties.

Modesto fans were spoiled last season when Hynick went the entire month of April without allowing an earned run. But by the time the 2007 season played out, Hynick had 16 wins while Weiser was winning 17 with Asheville to set a Colorado organization record for wins at the Class-A level.

Weiser was hit hard in his first outing, April 6 at Stockton, allowing nine hits and three earned runs over 4º innings. In four outings since then, he's allowed five earned runs in 25º innings.

Visalia scored twice on three hits in the second inning. Weiser allowed a single in the third and another in the fourth, then retired the final 11 batters he faced. David Patton worked a hitless eighth, and Andrew Johnston struck out two in a perfect ninth.

In earning his league-best sixth save, Johnston stretched his scoreless streak to 9º innings, during which he's allowed four hits and three walks.

All the great pitching would have gone toward another low-scoring Nuts loss had Modesto not struck for four runs in the sixth.

Jay Cox led off with a single, then Jason Van Kooten and Anthony Jackson beat out bunts with Cox scoring on a throwing error.

With runners at second and third and Daniel Mayora at the plate, Nuts manager Jerry Weinstein lodged an official protest, claiming the delivery of Visalia starting pitcher Cesar Valdez was a balk.

The umpires didn't agree, but the move angered Valdez. He got to an 0-2 count on Mayora, then left a pitch high in the strike zone that Mayora stroked to left field for a double and a 3-2 lead. Mayora eventually scored on an error.

"It wasn't my intent to shake him up," Weinstein said. "We're not playing any head games here. I spoke to the umpire early in the game and told him about that motion and that we would have a discussion later in the game about it if it came up."

Modesto scored another run in the eighth when Mike Paulk singled with two outs, stole second and scored on Tony Blanco's single. By that time, with Weiser gone and Patton and Johnston in control, the run was welcomed but not really needed.

"After my first outing, I've been consistent," Weiser said. "You're not going to get a lot of runs every time you pitch, so you just stick with your game plan and control what you can."

Brian VanderBeek can be reached at bvanderbeek@modbee.com or 578-2300.

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