Hoelscher slugs, Howard pitches Nuts to home-opening win

The Modesto Nuts, limping along at 2-4 after a season-opening road trip, sought a better fate in front of friends Thursday night at Thurman Field.

They achieved the desired results through both conventional means – stout pitching by lefty Sam Howard and a three-run homer by Shane Hoelscher – and unconventional.

As in a run-scoring balk attributed to the catcher, which happens about as often as meteors crash round Denair. Or anywhere else.

Max White trotted home in the fourth after the Stockton Ports’ Argenis Raga was called for snagging an attempted pitchout in front of the plate. The Nuts’ lead grew to 5-0, more than enough to send 3,723 home smiling with a home-opening 5-2 victory.

“I had not seen one of those since high school,” Hoelscher said. “That was crazy.”

Rest assured, baseball men decades older than Hoelscher had not seen one of those since high school.

To no one’s surprise, Stockton manager Rick Magnante walked slowly to the plate to vent his disagreement on the balk with umpire Kyle Wallace. Magnante was granted more than a few moments to chat, a sign that an explanation probably was necessary.

Regardless, Modesto assumed control before the strange play. Howard (1-0), a third-year pro out of Georgia Southern, contained the Ports on one unearned run and one hit with six strikeouts through 5 1/3 innings. He pitched through a few jams for 4 1/3 innings of Modesto’s 8-3 win over Stockton last week. His form sharpened in the rematch.

“I had my fastball, slider and changeup all working,” Howard said. “I was throwing more strikes and was more competitive out there. The opening-game jitters I had last week weren’t there. I was more relaxed and worked better with Dom (catcher Dom Nunez).”

Another stress-reducer for Howard was Hoelscher, the Nuts third baseman whose single swing in the third inning defined the game. After Wes Rogers singled and stole second and Forrest Wall walked, Hoelscher received a green light from manager Fred Ocasio on a 3-0 pitch from Stockton starter Brett Graves (0-2). The result was a searing white-hot bullet over the wall in left.

“You try not to do too much in that spot, but I got a good pitch to hit,” Hoelscher said.

Rogers, the Modesto leadoff man, has made a good early impression. After seven games, he’s 12 for 26 (.462). Before the balk, Rogers’ ground ball fielder’s choice plated Roberto Ramos, who doubled to center.

Nuts relievers Colin Welmon, Logan Cozart and Jerry Vasto preserved Howard’s victory, thanks in part to two double plays turned by the Modesto infield. Cozart induced a flyout, a nifty running catch by White down the left field line, with two on to end the seventh.

The Ports again brought the tying run to the plate in the ninth, but Jose Brizuela flew to right and James Harris struck out. Vasto’s save was the first this season for Modesto.

This story was originally published April 15, 2016 at 12:22 AM with the headline "Hoelscher slugs, Howard pitches Nuts to home-opening win."