Modesto Nuts sweep San Jose, head to second straight California League Championship
First-half title: sealed
California League Division Series: won
California League Championship Series ticket: punched
The Modesto Nuts sealed their second straight California League North Division series with a 6-2 win over the San Jose Giants. The Nuts swept the Giants in the best-of-three series for the second straight year to head to the championship series. They claimed a 4-2 win Tuesday on the road.
Thursday night, each player in the lineup recorded at least one hit. Tai Peete, Milkar Perez and Luis Suisbel each recorded a pair of hits. Suisbel drove in three runs and Peete, Carson Jones and Carter Dorighi added one RBI.
“The boys played really well,” manager Zach Vincej said. “They executed when they needed to. The bats came up clutch on some good at bats early in the game, our pitching staff was unbelievable.”
Since 2017, the Nuts are 12-0 in the postseason. Vincej is in his second season as the Nuts’ manager. The team won 77 regular games in 2023 and 73 in 2024 under Vincej’s leadership. So far, they are 6-0 in playoff games.
The Nuts’ pitchers stepped up in key spots
Vincej praised the Nuts’ pitching staff for coming through in the game’s biggest moments.
The Giants loaded the bases twice in moments that could have shifted the momentum.
With the Nuts ahead 4-1 in the top of the sixth inning, the first three San Jose batters drew walks, loading the bases. The Nuts got out of the inning allowing just one run after pitcher Jesse Wainscott forced a pair of ground balls that became a double play and an inning-ending groundout.
“We needed somebody to throw strikes and Wainscott did that,” Vincej said. “Our defense was beautiful there … and that kind of stopped the bleeding. If we can limit anything to one run right there, it was a huge win. Our backs were against the wall there, but we were able to compete.”
With a four-run lead and one run in the top of the ninth, the Giants again loaded the bases. Hunter Cranton and the Nuts escaped that jam with a pair of flyouts to end the game.
“There’s been ups and downs throughout the year on the pitching and hitting side but when they needed to, they were able to compete and throw strikes,” Vincej said. “They’re all pulling for each other. At this part of the season, you’ve just got to throw strikes and compete and see what happens.”
Offense came through when it needed to
Peete drove in Charlie Pagliarini in the first inning with a triple and scored on a Perez single in the next at bat to spearhead an exciting first three innings for the Nuts. Curtis Washington Jr. singled in the bottom of the second, stole second and scored on a Dorighi single.
With a 4-2 lead in the bottom of the eighth, Perez singled, driving in a pair of insurance runs.
After clinching their spot in the championship on the road last season, the Nuts were glad to do it this season at John Thurman Field.
“They were really excited to play in front of the fans and they showed out tonight,” Vincej said. “It was super loud and I’m grateful for the fans, it made it fun and energized the boys. That’s what they needed.”
The Nuts were aggressive on the basepaths all night. After leading the California League with 206 stolen bases during the regular season, they added five more Thursday night. They have eight as a team this postseason.
“It’s part of our nature, it’s part of our game,” Vincej said. “No matter who we’re playing, if you’re able to get stolen bases, we’re going to take them. … They stayed aggressive.”
Championship series starts Sunday
Vincej said the team will get some rest while still getting in workouts over the next two days before beginning its series against the South champion Lake Elsinore Storm.
The California League Championship series begins Sunday as the Nuts travel to the Storm for Game 1 of the best-of-three series. They return to John Thurman Field for Game 2 and the if-necessary Game 3 on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively.
“We have a great team. We compete and the boys really are pulling for each other, and that’s what it’s all about. And hopefully we can put it together,” Vincej said. “Baseball is a tough game at times. Sometimes you can do a lot of things right and not win. Tonight we were able to get that result at the end of the day, and we played really well. So hopefully it continues. I like our chances, but it’s going to be a tough test for us as well.”
This story was originally published September 13, 2024 at 10:46 AM.
