Maynard's blast quiets the Storm

Scott Maynards' three-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning helped Lancaster earn its 12th consecutive victory

By JON MICHAELS
Valley Press Staff Writer

Riding a franchise-record 11game win streak into Tuesday evening's matchup with visiting Lake Elsinore and Anaheim Angels starter Brian Cooper, Torres kept pace with Cooper and Maynard's three-run homer with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning gave Lancaster a thrilling 4-1 victory in front of 2,313 at The Hangar.

Juan Silvestre started the ninth with an innocent single off Storm reliever Brandon Emanuel. Craig Kuzmic followed with a walk, but Emanuel coaxed a 6-4-3 double play out of Bo Robinson.

After electing to walk Freddy May, Maynard made the Storm pay for their mistake, taking the first offering from Emanuel over the left-field fence for a game-winning homer and a 12-game win streak.

"I knew he was coming with a first-pitch fast ball, he had done it to everyone else," Maynard said. "I just made sure I wasn't late and didn't miss it. And I didn't. We're on a roll right now."

Cooper became the third major league pitcher to face the JetHawks this season. He was preceded by Orel Hershiser (Los Angeles) and Ken Hill (Anaheim). None of the three pitchers earned a decision. Last weekend, Matt Williams faced Lancaster twice on a rehab assignment with High Desert.

Anaheim wanted Cooper to get in a start on his regular day in the rotation, before joining the team for his start at San Diego on Monday.

Cooper controlled Lancaster's potent offense for most of the game. The JetHawks were hitting a menacing .295 and leading the California League with 74 home runs.

But Cooper was effective. The right-handed pitcher retired the first eight batters with relative ease.

Cooper then turned into his own worst enemy.

With two outs in the third inning, Lancaster's No. 9 hitter, P.J. Williams, dropped a bunt down the third-base line.

Cooper attempted to field the ball, but bobbled it once, picked it up again and dropped it for a second time. By the time he recovered, Williams was aboard on the miscue.

Williams stole second base, his 13th swipe, with Antonio Perez at the plate.

Cooper furthered the damage when he unleashed a wild pitch, allowing Williams to jog into third base.

Two pitches later, it was deja vu as Cooper sent another offering under the glove of Storm catcher Angel Diaz, giving Lancaster a 1-0 lead.

"I think it was just a little lack of concentration," said Lancaster manager Mark Parent, who has guided the team to 24 games above .500 for the first time in franchise history. "I think if a guy like that wants to stay at that level, he can't have those lapses. It was a good bunt and guy with good speed put some pressure on him."

The JetHawks got four base hits and two bases on balls over the next three innings. But Cooper ended two of the threats with strikeouts and another with an inning-ending double play.

Luckily for the JetHawks, Torres was just as effective against Lake Elsinore.

"The best part is the improvement by Melqui Torres," Parent said. "He was going after hitters, every hitter. He matched pitch-forpitch with a guy from the big leagues. Our guys are ready for challenges like that."

Despite giving up leadoff singles in each of the first three innings, Torres kept the Storm off the scoreboard until the seventh inning.

After allowing a leadoff single to Rich Stuart to open the seventh, Torres retired Marcus Knight on a grounder to first base that advanced Stuart to second base.

Diaz, the following batter, ripped Torres' offering up the middle to tie the game at 1-1.

Torres left after the seventh, giving up six hits and striking out five batters while receiving a nodecision.

"Melqui pitched a hell of a game," Maynard said. "He was more aggressive with his fastball and got ahead of hitters. Once you get ahead, it's easy to pitch from there."

Lancaster wasted another opportunity in the eighth inning with Willie Bloomquist (3-for-4) on second base and Silvestre, who leads professional baseball with 100 RBI, at the plate.

But a wild pitch was smothered by Diaz, who fired the ball to Bienvenido Encarnacion to force out Bloomquist at third to end the inning.

Uploaded July 12, 2000