Modesto Nuts reverse fortunes with ninth-inning magic to beat Stockton

Modesto Nuts hitting coach Lee Stevens ended Sunday morning’s pregame drills with an order: “I want to hear some music after today’s game.”

The Nuts risked more clubhouse silence, a ritual after every loss, but three runs in the bottom of the ninth inning amped the postgame volume. Their 6-5 walkoff win, which trumped Stockton’s two runs in the ninth, resulted in beautiful music for a team that absorbed a few body blows this week.

The mood switched from misery to euphoria at Thurman Field with two swings of the Modesto bats – a tying two-run double to left-center by Collin Ferguson, followed minutes later by Roberto Ramos’ slicing single to left. Ramos raised his fist as he dashed to first while Ferguson raced home to ignite the Nuts’ water-splashing celebration in the infield.

Modesto (4-6), sobered by two walkoff losses at Bakersfield and a deflating 17-inning setback to the Ports on Friday night, stood one inning away from starting 2-5 against the Ports and 3-7 over the first two weeks. But two timely hits can change everything.

“It feels like every game we’ve been fighting. Stuff hasn’t gone our way,” Ramos said. “We haven’t been able to finish, but we’re going to be there. We’re confident. Wins are going to come.”

The Nuts spun their wheels most of the afternoon. The Ports’ Tyler Marincov opened proceedings with a two-run homer to right off starter Ryan Castellani. Modesto erased a 3-1 deficit in the seventh, drawing even on Shane Hoelscher’s infield hit.

Stockton (5-5) parlayed two ninth-inning walks into runs for a 5-3 lead. Pinch hitter John Nogowski’s safety squeeze brought in the first, and James Harris tacked on a sacrifice fly. Modesto reliever Luis Niebla (1-0), who joined the team this weekend, induced an inning-ending double play, however, that became critical later.

Modesto responded with Luis Jean’s leadoff double off Stockton closer Ben Bracewell (0-1). Jean stretched a single to left into a two-bagger and, although his run didn’t matter, his hustle sparked the Nuts.

Modesto loaded the bases with one out after Hoelscher was hit by a pitch and Dom Nunez reached on a soft liner that short-hopped off the glove of second baseman Joe Bennie for an error. Ferguson, raised in Santa Cruz and later a star for Saint Mary’s College, set aside three earlier strikeouts with his solid rip into the alley.

Ramos, looking for anything he could drive into the outfield, jumped on a changeup to end it.

“This was a momentum builder and a confidence builder for us moving down the line. Now we know we can get it done when it matters most,” Ferguson said. “We’re still trying to figure out the right formula to put together some wins. This is a good way to start.”

Notes – The Nuts welcome Bakersfield to Thurman on Monday night at 7:05 to begin a three-game series. ... Friday night’s marathon, won by the Ports 12-10 in six hours and two minutes, missed the longest-by-time single-day game in Cal League history by only 17 minutes. San Jose defeated the Riverside Red Wave 8-5 on May 22, 1988, in 21 innings. That game took six hours, 19 minutes. ...

Catcher Troy Stein, one of four holdovers from 2015, was promoted to Double-A Hartford ... The Nuts welcomed three new players over the weekend: catcher Robbie Perkins, a Rockies prospect from Canberra, Australia; Rule 5 selection Niebla, who pitched at the Double A level for the Yankees organization last summer; and pitcher Logan Sawyer from extended spring training in Arizona. ... Dropped to extended spring training was reliever Josh Michalec after two rough outings. ...

Jerry Weinstein, former Nuts manager and last year the team’s development supervisor, ended day-to-day duties with Modesto last Friday. Weinstein, 72, remains with the Rockies but points toward two major challenges this year. He’ll serve as manager of the Harwich Gatemen of the Cape Code League and, after that, will manage Team Israel as it tries to qualify for the World Baseball Classic in September at Coney Island in New York City. “After that, I’ll go to bed for about a month,” said Weinstein, the former longtime coach at Sacramento City College who’s been a coach for the last 58 years. “I have nothing to retire to (he and his wife will celebrate their 50th anniversary this year). All I know is baseball.”

This story was originally published April 17, 2016 at 7:31 PM with the headline "Modesto Nuts reverse fortunes with ninth-inning magic to beat Stockton."