Brief skid halted in San Jose

Lancaster scored two runs in the top of the eighth inning to beat San Jose and snap a two-game losing streak.

By ED HARBOUR
Valley Press Staff Writer

The team answered with a gutsy 2-1 win over San Jose before a crowd of 2,786 at San Jose Municipal Stadium.

The win quelled Lancaster's (20-5, 60-35) short-lived two-game losing streak.

In the top of the eighth, down 1-0, the JetHawks answered with two runs on two hits with help from San Jose reliever David Brous' two walks.

Catcher Scott Maynard tied the game with a run-scoring ground ball and Robert Gandolfo put Lancaster ahead with a single to left that scored Freddie May.

"We did some things right in that inning," Lancaster manager Mark Parent said. "We were selective at the plate and Gandy came up with a big hit to put us up.

"With 11 position players, we can't always make the moves we want to. We need guys to pull through in those situations and they did."

Taking Bloomquist's spot on the field was Gandolfo, who'd played sparingly this year but was ready to play on Monday.

"Tonight we did all the little things we had to to win," Gandolfo said. "I was looking for a pitch to hit there late in the game and I got it. I'd swung at some bad pitches earlier and let some good ones go. I was ready."

Leading the charge for the JetHawks was starter Melqui Torres.

On Monday, he threw seven innings of one-run ball with seven strikeouts and one walk. For the first time all season, Torres has been able to string together backto-back solid outings.

"I look at the guys we've got and try to win every night," Parent said. "As good as Melqui was last time, he was even better this time."

Back on July 11, Torres (3-3) went seven innings at home against Lake Elsinore, striking out five and giving up one run. He finished out of the decision but Lancaster prevailed on Maynard's late home run.

"Melqui's got good stuff, that's not the issue," pitching coach Scott Budner said. "The issue is staying aggressive and being on top of it with guys on base and he did that tonight."

The lone run the Giants would touch Torres for on Monday came in the seventh inning. The Giants used a leadoff double by third baseman Tony Torcato, a rocket off the right-center field wall, to score the game's first run. With two outs, shortstop Carlos Mendoza laced a single to right off Torres to score Torcato.

Torres was relieved to start the eighth by Brandon Parker, who hadn't seen action since July 9.

Parker shook off any rust early, though, to strike out the side in order.

In the ninth, Caleb Balbuena came in to close the door on San Jose and after Joe Jester led off with a single, he got Sean McGowan to ground into a game-ending double play for his second save.

"Coming into a 2-1 game gets me more aggressive," Balbuena said, "It's more exciting. I thought they were going to leave Parker in for the ninth, but they said I was going and it really got my juices flowing."

Uploaded July 18, 2000