Tough loss for Modesto Nuts

By BRIAN VanderBEEK
bvanderbeek@modbee.com

last updated: August 28, 2008 10:15:47 AM

The Colorado Rockies want the Modesto Nuts to reach the California League playoffs for one reason: to see how the young players react under postseason pressure.

Well, forget what the calendar says, because these are the playoffs for the Nuts, who are in need of wins if they want to reach the official postseason.

With that in mind, Wednesday's 5-2 loss to the San Jose Giants revealed a Modesto team that appeared to be pressing, making mental errors that got in the way of a possible win.

First, the balance sheet. The Nuts, at 67-67 overall, saw their lead over Visalia (64-70) shrink to three games with six games remaining, freezing Modesto's magic number at four.

Now, the mental errors.

• With the score tied 1-1 in the seventh inning, catcher Jackson Williams led off with a single against Chris Malone (2-4.) On the second pitch of the following at-bat, Williams took off for second base, but shortstop Daniel Mayora was late to cover and Michael McKenry's throw sailed into center field. Williams would score the unearned go-ahead run on a ground ball.

"The failure to cover second base was something that was a mental mistake and we've talked about that three or four times," said Nuts manager Jerry Weinstein. "That was upsetting."

• In the top of the eighth inning, with San Jose still leading 2-1, the Giants got two runners aboard with one out against Jonathan George. George got ahead against Andy D'Alessio, then missed out over the plate on the 0-2 offering and D'Alessio crushed a three-run homer to right.

"The intent was to get the ball inside and he didn't do it," Weinstein said. "That wasn't a mental error, that was a failure to execute physically."

• In the bottom of the eighth, the Nuts loaded the bases with nobody out. McKenry hit a three-hopper to third, where Tyler LaTorre grabbed it and threw home to force Mayora. There was no time to get McKenry at first, but Mayora still slid well in front of home in an effort to upend Williams, and McKenry was called out for Mayora's interference.

"Mayora doesn't know there's no play at first base," Weinstein said. "His intent was good, but it was a bad decision on his part. He had no chance to touch home plate with his hand or foot."

• The final mental mistake came when Kane Simmons was at bat with one out in the ninth and hit a spinning ground ball to third that hit foul, then rolled fair. He didn't start running until LaTorre had fielded the ball.

"That ball was foul and had sidespin, but that still was bad," Weinstein said.

Wednesday's offense against Jesse English (13-7) wasn't enough to win. English allowed one unearned run over six innings to outduel Jhoulys Chacin, who gave up one run in five innings.

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