Friday, Sep. 11, 2009

Nuts, Blaze to play decisive Game 3 tonight in Bakersfield

Mendonca swats pair of home runs for Bakersfield

BAKERSFIELD — The Modesto Nuts went 40-30 in the first half of the California League season and had to settle for 35-35 in the second half.

The difference between the two halves seemed small roster-wise but played out large. It was the promotion of exceptional relievers Matt Reynolds and Edgmer Escalona. The roles in the bullpen, which had been etched in stone to that point, were erased.

What remained of the Nuts' middle relief corps suffered yet another meltdown Thursday night — this time blowing a potential playoff series win.

With Modesto carrying a two-run lead, Modesto relievers Xavier Cedeno and Austin Chambliss were torched for seven runs in the sixth inning — a rally that included a home run by Tommy Mendonca — as the Blaze cracked the Nuts 13-6 at Sam Lynn Ballpark.

Mendonca would add another home run in the eighth inning to pad the lead as Bakersfield's win — its first in the postseason since 2001 — sets up a winner-take-all third game in the first round of the North Division playoffs. Tonight's winner will immediately board the bus and head to San Jose for Saturday afternoon's best-of-five divisional finals opener.

It's the same scenario the Nuts faced last year, when they defeated Stockton in the first game of their divisional mini-series and led 6-2 in the fifth inning of the second game on the road before collapsing and losing twice.

This time, home runs by Matt Repec, Charlie Blackmon and Jay Cox boosted Modesto to an early 4-0 lead off Blaze starter Tanner Roark, who was 10-0 with a 2.70 ERA in the regular season and gave up only five homers in 86 innings.

The margin was 5-3 after five innings behind starter Christian Friedrich, Colorado's first-round pick in 2008. Friedrich struck out 10 Blaze hitters in five innings, but was pulled after striking out the side in the fifth, having thrown 87 pitches to that point.

Cedeno took over to start the sixth, and the Blaze wasted no time taking control against the Nuts' lefty, who had allowed only four hits and no earned runs over his previous 10 outings.

This time, Cedeno got no one out. He gave up back-to-back solo homers to Ian Gac and Turlock's Mendonca (his first hit in the series) to tie the game, then gave up two more singles before being pulled.

Chambliss opened his outing by allowing a go-ahead RBI double to Matt Lawson. He struck out the next batter before issuing an intentional walk to load the bases, but the strategy backfired when Chambliss walked Mauro Gomez to force in the fourth run of the inning — all charged to Cedeno.

A slow ground ball made it 8-5, and Gac's second hit of the inning — a two-run single — made the score 10-5 before the Nuts finally secured the third out.

Cunningham blasted a solo homer for the Nuts in the seventh, but there would be no heroic rally for Modesto in its efforts to end this series in a two-game sweep.

• NUTS NOTES — Bruce Billings (6-10, 4.17) will start tonight's game against Bakersfield lefty Richard Bleier (7-11, 4.31). ... Saturday's game in San Jose has been moved up to a 2 p.m. start at Municipal Stadium to accommodate the traffic expected for the 7:30 kickoff of the San Jose State-Utah football game at adjacent Spartan Stadium. ... Bakersfield announced earlier this week that the Blaze will remain at Sam Lynn Ballpark at least through the 2010 season, and team owner D.G. Elmore said he's willing to put "seven figures" toward a new ballpark for Bakersfield. There has been talk of the franchise being moved elsewhere in California or even to another league. ... The Nuts will open the 2010 season on Thursday, April 8, when they start a four-game home series against San Jose. The 140-game regular season concludes with a seven-game homestand Aug. 31-Sept. 6.