Modesto Nuts tan Rawhide, gain game on Cal League North leader

The Modesto Nuts scored three runs in the bottom of the eighth inning and held off Visalia 8-7 on Sunday at John Thurman Field.

The Nuts (22-22) gained a game on the Rawhide (31-13) in the California League’s North division with 26 games left in the first half. Modesto will try to gain more ground in the final game of the series Monday at 1:05 p.m.

Wilfredo Rodriguez greeted Visalia reliever J.R. Bradley with a leadoff double in the last of the eighth. Dillon Thomas singled Rodriguez home, and Thomas scored on a double to center by Troy Stein. Cesar Galvez’s sacrifice fly scored Stein to give the Nuts an 8-6 lead.

Visalia’s Kevin Cron homered in the top of the ninth, his seventh, but Trent Daniel retired the next two batters to register his second save for Modesto.

The Nuts answered Visalia’s two-run first with two in the home half as an announced crowd of 3,717 settled in under a clear sky on an 80-degree day. Jordan Patterson reached on a fielder’s choice, moved to third when Ryan McMahon reached on an error and scored on Correlle Prime’s groundout. McMahon then scored when Rodriguez reached on an error.

Trailing 4-2, the Nuts regained the lead with a three-run fifth. Thomas drew a leadoff walk and scored on Zach Osborne’s single. A sacrifice fly by Raimel Tapia drove in Stein, and Patterson’s groundout scored Osborne.

After Monday’s finale, the Nuts will have Tuesday off. Modesto plays a three-game set at South division leader Rancho Cucamonga from Wednesday through Friday, then plays four games at Visalia from Saturday through June 2.

This story was originally published May 24, 2015 at 5:24 PM with the headline "Modesto Nuts tan Rawhide, gain game on Cal League North leader."