Nuts' rally comes up short

Modesto falls behind 9-0 before coming back; title chances are dwindling

By Brian VanderBeek
bvanderbeek@modbee.com

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One of the major aspects of baseball's development curve is how players respond to the pressure of performing with something extra on the line.

On Thursday, the Modesto Nuts lost the battle but won the war.

Needing a win to guarantee their presence into the final three days of the California League's North Division first-half race, the Nuts fell behind 9-0 after six innings before running out of time and falling 10-8 to Lancaster.

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Modesto's title clock also is running down.

A victory would have pulled the Nuts into a first-place tie with San Jose and Visalia in the division, since the Giants lost to Stockton and Visalia fell to Bakersfield in 12 innings.

Modesto's loss, coupled with San Jose's loss, keeps several scenarios in play.

Should the Nuts finish in a tie for first with either Visalia or San Jose, the first meeting of the teams in the second half will determine the first half winner.

In case of a three-way tie, Modesto would be the odd team out, since Visalia and San Jose hold the tie-breaking advantage of best records in the three-way, head-to-head, first-half meetings. The next game between the Rawhide and Giants would settle the matter.

And no matter what happens, the Nuts will enter the second half with a significant lead over both Stockton and Bakersfield in the wild card race.

Modesto had only three hits against Lancaster starter Reid Kelly through six innings, and Kelly's mastery seemed to continue when he retired the first two batters he faced in the seventh.

But just that quickly, Modesto's offense arrived.

Kelly hit a batter and walked the next, and was replaced by Erick Abreu. The Nuts greeted Abreu with five straight hits, with Charlie Blackmon's bases-loaded triple getting the Nuts on the board.

Jay Cox had an RBI single and Matt Repec an RBI double before the JetHawks got out of the frame with a 9-5 lead.

Lancaster scored against Carlos Luna in the eighth — the only run Luna allowed in 2 2/3 innings of relief.

Modesto then added three more in the eighth, with Michael Mitchell getting one home on a single and Blackmon and Maikol Gonzalez adding sacrifice flies to narrow the deficit to two runs.

Bryan Hallberg, the fourth Lancaster pitcher, got all three outs in the eighth, then found himself in immediate trouble in the ninth when Repec singled and Lars Davis reached on an infield error.

But Warren Schaeffer bounced into a force out, Brian Rike took a called third strike and Jason Van Kooten grounded out to second base to end the game.

Kenny Durst and Sean Jarrett gave up nine runs on 14 hits, including three on 0-2 pitches, in their combined six innings of work. Much of the damage was done by Lancaster catcher Koby Clemens — the son of former major league pitcher Roger Clemens.

Clemens ripped a first-pitch, three-run homer off Durst in the first inning, singled and scored in the fourth, and lined a two-run double on an 0-2 pitch off Jarrett in the fifth. He would add a sacrifice fly in the eighth to complete a six-RBI night.

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

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