Modesto Nuts drop sixth straight

The Modesto Nuts’ first order of business Saturday, nearly four hours before the first pitch, was pushing the batting cage aside.

Defense, a sore spot for Modesto during the past week, needed attention. Manager Fred Ocasio put the Nuts through a laundry list of baseball essentials – bunt coverage, relay cutoffs, backing up bases, even infielders calling for popups.

“We have to get back to fundamentals,” Ocasio said before the game. “Too many mistakes.”

The pregame shake-up in routine did not bear immediate fruit. The Nuts, outhit 11-2, suffered their sixth straight loss, 7-2. Stockton pitchers retired the final 14 batters while the Ports raced around the bases for six runs over the last three innings.

An announced crowd of 4,356 at Thurman Field enjoyed postgame fireworks much louder than the Modesto bats.

Ocasio’s strategy wasn’t misplaced. The Nuts (8-14) have committed 10 errors during the losing streak. From their 35 errors to date, 16 have come against Stockton. Accordingly, the Ports (10-12) have won six of the team’s nine meetings.

That said, Modesto sharpened its game over the first six innings. The defense improved, and the Nuts inched in front 2-1 on Luis Jean’s suicide squeeze to bring in Shane Hoelscher, who had tripled to center, in the fifth.

The Nuts also were encouraged by the performance of right-hander Parker French, a former Texas Longhorn who reported to Modesto this week from Low-A Asheville. French, who works both corners with low-90s velocity, introduced himself with Modesto’s best outing to date by a starter: six innings, two hits, one earned run and seven strikeouts.

Problem was, his exit changed the game. The Ports’ Joe Bennie greeted reliever Troy Neiman (2-1) with a roller that was misplayed for an error by shortstop Emerson Jimenez. Moments later, Stockton took charge on a run-scoring passed ball and ringing RBI hits by Sandber Pimentel and James Harris. Stockton did more damage in the eighth and ninth against Luis Niebla and Logan Cozart.

Stockton’s Henderson Alvarez, the Oakland right-hander coming off season-ending shoulder surgery last July, heartened A’s fans with four sharp innings in his third rehab appearance. He struck out four and yielded only a single in the first by leadoff man Max White, eventually resulting in Roberto Ramos’ RBI groundout.

Brett Graves (2-3), the Ports’ scheduled starter, was even more stingy. Jean’s successful squeeze was noteworthy for another reason – he was the last Modesto player to reach base.

Modesto’s frustration mounted. Jean, halfway to first base after what he thought was ball four in the eighth, was called back to the plate by umpire Patrick Sharshel. Moments after his groundout, Jean was ejected.

The Nuts hit into several hard outs, including Dom Nunez’s drive caught on the warning track by right fielder Tyler Marincov in the ninth. Such is the residue of a slump.

“We need to pick it up as a team. Maybe I need to do a little bit more, make the job easier on my teammates,” said Wes Rogers, who scored Modesto’s first run. “You try to have a short memory, try to just execute your plan every single pitch. Obviously, it’s not going to happen like that. It’s baseball. It’s a tough game.”

The Nuts won’t argue this week.

Sunday’s game

Ports 3, Nuts 2 in Stockton – Sam Howard delivered a solid start for Modesto, scattering four hits and three walks over 6 1/3 innings, but the bullpen couldn’t nail down the win after the Nuts led 2-1.

Troy Stein singled to lead off the eighth for the Nuts, and Wes Rogers’ two-out double to left plated Stein to snap a 1-1 tie. But Nuts reliever Helmis Rodriguez surrendered a two-run homer to Tyler Marincov to give Stockton a 3-2 lead.

Lou Trivino worked a perfect ninth to earn the save for the Ports.

The Nuts return to John Thurman Field on Monday to begin a four-game series against Lake Elsinore, the San Diego Padres’ Cal League affiliate.

First pitch is slated for 7:05 p.m.

Notes – Catcher Troy Stein, one of four Modesto holdovers from 2015, has returned to the Nuts after a week’s stay at Double-A Hartford. ... Pitcher Jesus Tinoco (0-3, 14.85) was assigned to extended spring training. ... Umpire Jacob Metz took his position behind first base before the first pitch Saturday night, which was good news. Calling balls and strikes the night before, he was knocked out of the game when he took a 91-mph fastball from Nuts reliever Logan Sawyer square to the mask (due to a sign miscue between Sawyer and catcher Nunez). Sharshel worked the final four innings on his own.

This story was originally published April 30, 2016 at 11:35 PM with the headline "Modesto Nuts drop sixth straight."