Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Modesto miscues spark Stockton game-tying rally

By BRIAN VanderBEEK
bvanderbeek @ modbee.com

last updated: September 05, 2008 09:56:30 AM

Should the Modesto Nuts win tonight, perhaps they can look back at Thursday night's transgressions and laugh.

But if the Stockton Ports claim tonight's decisive third game in the California League North Division best-of-three mini series, the Nuts will look back at Thursday's 7-6 loss as the game that essentially ended their season.

Modesto took a 6-2 lead into the fifth inning and blew it all in a quick series of non-execution. With the score tied 6-6, Chris Carter's off-field homer off Austin Chambliss in the seventh inning provided the game-winning run for the Ports.

It comes down to this for the Nuts and Ports tonight: The winner advances to a best-of-five divisional championship series starting Saturday in San Jose. The season ends for the loser.

Modesto was poised to win this series in a sweep before a sixth inning that perhaps was their worst of the season.

Stockton struck for a run in the first off Esmil Rogers, with the tally coming on Carter's sacrifice fly. But Rogers would respond to the sacrifice fly by retiring the next 10 batters, long enough for Modesto to take a 4-1 lead.

Ports starter Jason Glushon breezed through the first two innings, but was put in the stretch instantly in the third when Jay Cox hit the first pitch for a single.

That seemed to get the Nuts rolling, and Anthony Jackson doubled with two out to tie the game. Daniel Mayora followed with an RBI single, taking second on the throw, and scored on Mike Paulk's single to right for a 3-1 lead.

Modesto stretched the margin to 4-1 when Michael McKenry doubled and eventually scored on Jason Van Kooten's ground ball. Josh Donaldson broke Rogers' streak with a solo homer in the fourth, but the Nuts took control at 6-2 with a two-run fifth on McKenry's two-run, two-out single.

That's when Modesto suddenly lost its ability to execute. Rogers allowed a run in the fifth on a rally started by the only walk he allowed and a single by Jermaine Mitchell on a 1-2 pitch.

Then came the sixth. Matt Spencer -- whose throwing error ended Game 1 -- hit a ground ball double under the glove of Paulk at first base to get things started.

"That was a hard-hit ball, but we're professional players, we need to make that play," said Nuts manager Jerry Weinstein. "If the first hitter is out, we get out of that inning with no runs."

One out later, Rogers got ahead of Corey Brown 0-2 on two overpowering fastballs, then hung a curveball that Brown smacked into left field for an RBI single. He got ahead of Frank Martinez 1-2 with fastballs, then hung a curve and Martinez singled.

Tommy Baumgardner entered and hit a batter to load the bases, but it appeared not to matter as Mike Massaro hit a routine double play ground ball to Mayora at short. His relay to Van Kooten was clean, but Van Kooten's throw to first base was weak and Massaro was called safe on a close play.

"We had a double-play ball that we didn't turn," Weinstein said. "Yes, the guy was out, but if we make an average throw and don't bounce the ball it's not close."

One run scored on the failed turn, and the Ports completed the rally when Archie Gilbert beat out a slow roller to third.

Following Carter's homer, the Nuts had no help from the umpires. In the eighth inning, Cox led off with a single for his third hit, and had second base stolen, popping up just in time to be called out by second base umpire Masaki Nonaka. Haley would follow later in the inning with a single.

In the ninth, Mayora took a 3-2 pitch in the dirt, barely flinching the bat off his shoulder, but on appeal was rung up with a flourish by first base ump Nathan Thompson, who will be behind the plate for tonight's decisive game.

A few moments later, Weinstein was tossed by third base umpire Brian Hertzog, and the meltdown was complete.

"The calls didn't cost us the game, and we didn't help ourselves," Weinstein said. "Our guys battled. It wasn't our finest hour but we competed."

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

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