Modesto Plates 3 Late Runs, Blaze Drop 4th of Series
May 5, 2013 - California League (CalL1)
Bakersfield Blaze News Release
On an eerily cloudy and quiet Sunday afternoon in Modesto, the Bakersfield Blaze fell behind three separate times, waged two comebacks, but could not muster a third, and dropped the third game of a four game series to the Modesto Nuts, 6-3.
For the sixth straight road game, the Blaze opposition scored in the 1st. Today, Jacob Johnson got the starting nod, and in the bottom half of the opening frame, the Nuts came up with back-to-back extra-base hits to plate a run, and led 1-0.
In the 2nd, Modesto added another single tally. An error at third put the leadoff man on base, and an errant pickoff throw moved the runner to second. Two outs later, Modesto got a key RBI single from their number-nine hitter, and the Nuts went up 2-0 after two innings.
But, as has been the case all week, the Blaze have made a habit of fighting from behind. In the top of the 3rd, with two outs, Modesto starter Tyler Gagnon ran into a bout of wildness, walking Yorman Rodriguez and Marquez Smith before Dominic D'Anna came up with a smash high off the wall in deepest rightcenter, scoring two, and knotting the game up at 2-2.
Modesto plated the next tally, a single run in the 5th. Nuts first baseman Jordan Ribera began the inning with a double, and once again, with two outs, the Nuts got a single to score a run, going up 3-2.
The Blaze, for a second time, came back. In the 7th, off reliever Geoff Parker (BS, W, 2-1), got a leadoff single from Juan Silverio to start the inning. Silverio moved to second on a grounder, and an error brought him home, and after a scoreless back and forth, the game went to the bottom of the 8th tied, 3-3.
That is where this one slipped away for Bakersfield. After tossing a scoreless 7th, Brooks Pinckard (L, 0-3) lost his feel on the mound, plunking each of the first two batters in the 8th before walking Nuts cleanup man Ryan Casteel to load the bases with nobody out. Kyle McMyne was summoned to try to dig out of the mess, but the first pitch he threw was slapped into centerfield for a sacrifice fly, putting the Nuts on top, 4-3. Then, one out later, after a double steal, the Nuts came up with a seeing eye single to right, scoring twice more, and going up by the final margin, 6-3.
Kenneth Roberts (S, 1) pitched the 9th for Modesto, allowing just a two-out infield single before shutting the door on the Blaze.
The defeat is the fourth straight for Bakersfield, which, after winning three in a row, have now lost the finale in San Jose and the first three games in Modesto. The team does have a chance to salvage one win at John Thurman Field, and it comes Monday night at 7:05pm.
The 8-22 Bakersfield Blaze will send Carlos Gonzalez (0-0, 1.17) to the hill for his first start of the year, and the 12-18 Modesto Nuts will counter with Tyler Anderson, a first round selection by the Rockies in 2011.
Make sure to listen to Dan Besbris call all the action at BakersfieldBlaze.com; the pregame show begins at 6:55pm.
Then, on Tuesday, the Blaze open a 7-game homestand against San Jose and Modesto. Tickets are still available for MOST games on the homestand.
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California League Stories from May 5, 2013
- Walters, Healthy West Disable Mavs - Lancaster JetHawks
- Four-Run First Helps Ports Past Visalia 7-1 - Stockton Ports
- Winkler, Massey Lead Nuts to 3-2 Win - Modesto Nuts
- Giants Suffer Third Straight Loss to Quakes - San Jose Giants
- Quakes Keep It Going with Fourth Straight Win - Rancho Cucamonga Quakes
- Modesto Plates 3 Late Runs, Blaze Drop 4th of Series - Bakersfield Blaze
- Reynolds Quality Start Guides 66ers to Win - Inland Empire 66ers
- Nuts Break Losing Streak with 7-4 Win - Modesto Nuts
- Visalia Bullpen Vexes Ports in 5-3 Loss - Stockton Ports
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