Nuts allow run in eighth to lose at Visalia

The end came swiftly for the Modesto Nuts on Wednesday night.

The Visalia Rawhide scored in the bottom of the eighth, then quickly retired the Nuts in order for a 3-2 California League win. Drew Weeks, Dom Nunez and Shane Hoelscher struck out on 13 pitches by Visalia closer Jimmie Sherfy as the Nuts fell for the third straight night.

Modesto (8-11) trails the North Division-leading Rawhide (13-6) by five games.

The Nuts’ Helmis Rodriguez (1-1) blanked Visalia for two innings in relief of starter Carlos Polanco until the eighth. Rodriguez allowed a leadoff double by Domingo Leyba, who advanced to third on a wild pitch. With one out, Henry Castillo blooped a single to right over a drawn-in infield – second baseman Forrest Wall nearly made the catch – for the eventual winning run.

Modesto, which trailed 2-0 after two innings, tied it in the seventh when Omar Carrizales singled to center to bring in Nunez. Charlie Blackmon, the Colorado Rockies’ centerfielder who spent the past two games with the Nuts as he rehabbed from a turf toe injury, singled in the fourth and eventually scored on Drew Weeks’ groundout.

Blackmon, 1-for-8 as the Nuts’ leadoff man at Visalia, is expected to return to the Rockies this weekend.

Modesto managed only five hits, two of them doubles by Weeks and Shane Hoelscher.

The Nuts, who will try to avoid a three-game sweep at Visalia on Thursday night, return to Thurman Field on Friday night against the Stockton Ports.

This story was originally published April 27, 2016 at 9:23 PM with the headline "Nuts allow run in eighth to lose at Visalia."