Nuts Score Four Unearned Early, Stave off Bako, 7-4
Published on May 3, 2013 under California League (CalL1)
Bakersfield Blaze News Release
In the first meeting of 2013 between the Bakersfield Blaze and Modesto Nuts, the teams exchanged early rallies, and took a tie game into the late innings. Modesto, however, cashed in on a few well-placed grounders to grab the late lead, and held off the Blaze in a 7-4 series-opening win at John Thurman Field.
The game started quickly before slowing a tad, with the Blaze drawing first blood in the top of the 1st. Juan Perez led off the game with a single to left, and two strikeouts later, Marquez Smith smashed a blast to left to put the Blaze on top, 2-0.
The lead was short-lived, however, as Modesto came right back in the bottom half. Brian Humprhies was hit by a pitch to start the inning, and David Kandilas reached on an error on a potential double play grounder. James Allen (L, 1-3) took care of the next batter, before Modesto's Ryan Casteel came up with an infield single to load the bases. Tyler Massey then hit a sharp grounder to first, bobbled by the Blaze, and Bakersfield was only able to get one out on the play, with a run scoring to make the score 2-1 Bakersfield. It was the next batter to do the damage, though, as Allen left a fastball up, and Harold Riggins deposited it well beyond the left field wall for a three-run shot, putting Modesto on top 4-2.
After two scoreless innings, the Blaze got even. Kyle Waldrop led off the top of the 4th with the rare inside-the-park home run to cut the deficit to 4-3, and after an error and a stolen bag, Juan Duran tied it up with a sharp single to center.
But Modesto's starting righthander settled down from there, as Ben Alsup (W, 2-2) tossed a scoreless 5th and 6th, and his offense came alive at just the right moment.
In the bottom of the 6th inning, with the score still tied, Allen plunked the leadoff batter, Taylor Featherston, who immediately stole second and scored on Ryan Casteel's third hit of the game. With the Nuts leading 5-4, the game started to slip away. A pitching change to Carlos Gonzalez, followed by a seeing eye single and a groundball double put Modesto up 6-4, and a walk and infield single later, the Nuts went up 7-4, tonight's final score.
For the Blaze, Jimmy Moran worked a scoreless 1.2 frames of relief, and Mike Dennhardt came on to get the final out in the 8th. On the other side, Nelson Gonzalez for the Nuts looked impressive, striking out three in 2.0 innings, and Scott Oberg (S, 6) pitched an uneventful 9th for his 6th save.
The win snaps a Modesto losing streak of eight games, and moves Modesto two games ahead of the Blaze for 4th place in the California League North. The loss drops Bakersfield to 2-2 on the current seven-game road trip, as well.
The series in Modesto continues through the weekend, with game two Saturday night at 7:05pm. Carlos Contreras will take the hill for Bakersfield, and Dan Winkler for Modesto.
You can listen to that game on internet or radio, as it chimes in as the Blaze Saturday Night Game of the Week, available at BakersfieldBlaze.com, via TuneIn Radio, and locally on SmartTalk AM-1230. Blaze play by play man Dan Besbris brings the call, with the pregame show set to begin at 6:55pm.
California League Stories from May 3, 2013
- Nuts Score Four Unearned Early, Stave off Bako, 7-4 - Bakersfield Blaze
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