Modesto Nuts get slammed by Rancho Cucamonga

Rancho Cucamonga’s Cody Bellinger hit a grand slam to help put the visiting Modesto Nuts in a 12-run hole after five innings, and the Quakes went on to a 12-4 California League victory Wednesday night at LoanMart Field.

Combined with Visalia’s 10-5 victory over Bakersfield, the Nuts (23-23) slipped nine games behind the Rawhide in the North division with 24 games left in the first half.

Bellinger set the table for the Quakes’ four-run second with a plate appearance every bit as dangerous as was his grand slam in Rancho Cucamonga’s four-run fourth: a leadoff walk. Tyler Ogle, Paul Hoenecke and Joey Curletta followed with consecutive doubles off Nuts starter Grahamm Wiest (1-3), and it was 3-0. Wiest allowed seven runs and seven hits in 22/3 innings before being relieved by Jacob Newberry, who was charged with four runs and three hits in two-thirds of an inning.

Wiest gave up back-to-back homers by Ogle and Hoenecke in the third and exited after allowing a single to Curletta. Newberry struck out Brian Wolfe to end the inning but gave up Bellinger’s grand slam in the fourth, which gave the Quakes an 11-0 lead.

Modesto scored two runs in the sixth. Ryan McMahon’s double drove in Jordan Patterson, who singled, and Correlle Prime singled home McMahon.

Patterson stroked a leadoff double in the eighth, McMahon singled, and Patterson scored on a single by Prime. McMahon scored on a sacrifice fly that turned into an inning-ending double play with Prime being thrown out at third.

Patterson had three of the Nuts’ 11 hits and boosted his average to .348. McMahon and Prime each had two hits.

The series resumes Thursday night.

This story was originally published May 27, 2015 at 10:30 PM with the headline "Modesto Nuts get slammed by Rancho Cucamonga."