Hard-working Nuts go 15 to beat High Desert

The Modesto Nuts didn’t return home from San Bernardino, where they lost four straight to Inland Empire, until Tuesday at 4:45 a.m.

Their scheduled game at Thurman Field against High Desert didn’t end until Wednesday at 12:13 a.m. The Nuts didn’t mind.

Wes Rogers’ single to left brought in Omar Carrizales in the 15th for the walkoff 5-4 victory, a tonic for a team short on wins but long on resilience.

It was the fifth walkoff win for Modesto, which stretched into extra innings for the seventh time, more than any other California League team. The Nuts are 3-4 in those games.

Carrizales, arguably the league’s hottest hitter, figured in every Nuts rally. The 21-year-old outfielder from Venezuela, who batted .418 in the previous 19 games, went 2-for-5 with a two-run triple and three runs scored.

He led off the 15th with a bloop double to left off High Desert reliever Tripp Martin (0-1) – an infielder forced to the mound – and advanced on Dom Nunez’s groundout. Rogers’ single sent home the remainder of a crowd of 3,143.

Modesto (18-27) allowed an unearned run in the 13th but stayed alive on Troy Stein’s two-out single to center that brought in Carrizales.

The win went to Craig Schlitter (2-0), who got the last out in the High Desert 15th. He relieved Helmis Rodriguez, who pitched 4  2/3 innings and allowed only one unearned run.

Carrizales gave Modesto a 3-1 lead in the third when he tripled home Forrest Wall and Emerson Jimenez, then scored on the play thanks to a throwing error.

The Mavericks rallied to tie 3-3 in the eighth on Juremi Profar’s bases-loaded infield hit off reliever Logan Cozart. Troy Neiman kept the game tied on a popup and strikeout.

High Desert (29-17) fell out of first place in the South Division. The Mavericks went 3-for-21 with runners in scoring position.

Modesto starter Carlos Polanco struck out six and gave up four hits in 5  2/3 innings.

The three-game series continued Wednesday night at Thurman.

This story was originally published May 25, 2016 at 1:18 AM with the headline "Hard-working Nuts go 15 to beat High Desert."