JetHawks ship starting to stay afloat

When Mendoza arrived in Lancaster in mid-May, he was a reliever. For a day. Then a starter. Then a reliever. Now, back in the rotation, he showed he belongs.

Mendoza pitched six innings of sterling baseball, allowing one run on one hit and giving the JetHawks a 3-1 victory over the A's.

Billy Martin tied the game at one in the fourth with his league-leading 22nd home run, then put the JetHawks up in the sixth with a run-scoring double. Lancaster's bullpen pitched three scoreless innings to secure the win.

The JetHawks finished July with a 14-13 record, their first winning month since April and a remarkable turnaround from a 2-25 June.

"It's a credit for the guys," Coolbaugh said. "They worked hard all year long, busting their tails."

Mendoza (6-5) was the difference in this game. After seven consecutive relief appearance, he felt he had to prove he belonged in the rotation.

"Sometimes, you have to bounce back," Mendoza said.

He had sharp command, especially with his slider, despite five walks. He worked ahead of right-handed batters and located his breaking pitches, forcing the A's to roll over pitches. He struck out just three batters, but the A's never appeared comfortable against him.

The five walks all came to Modesto's left-handed hitters.

"That's how he's capable of throwing," JetHawks pitching coach Mike Parrott said. "On any given time, he can do that. It's a matter of what approach he takes. It all starts between the ears."

Jesus Basabe turned on a hanging curveball in the second inning, pulling it over the left-field fence for his 15th home run. Mendoza didn't allow another hit.

In the first six innings, Mendoza faced two over the minimum - two double plays and a caught stealing erased three baserunners. He walked Roberto Vaz to open the seventh, and JetHawks manager Scott Coolbaugh lifted him with Matt Howe, a lefty, coming up.

"Today I missed a lot of spots," Mendoza said, "but I got by with what I had."

The JetHawks bullpen closed the door on Modesto over the final three innings. Brandon Medders struck out five batters in two innings. Two singles and an error put the tying runners in scoring position in the eighth, but Medders struck out pinch-hitter Josh Hoffpauir on three pitches to end the threat.

Jay Belflower pitched the ninth for his seventh save.

Modesto's pitchers nearly matched Lancaster's. Starter Shane Bazzell (9-3) allowed three runs on six hits in six innings, and struck out seven. John Ratliff and Cade Sanchez pitched three scoreless innings of relief.

But Martin's bat keyed Lancaster's two scoring rallies. His home run tied the game, but his double in the sixth keyed the winning rally. Robbie Hammock hit a one-out single, and Martin drove Bazzell's pitch into the gap on a hit-and-run. J.D. Closser followed with a double, giving the JetHawks an insurance run and extending his personal hitting streak to 11 games.

Remarkable as Lancaster's July turnaround may be, the JetHawks are not celebrating. They're still in last place in the Cal League's South Division and have the worst record in the league.

"It's much easier to come to the park and play hard," Martin said. "It's no fun being down nine runs in the third inning - that's an awful situation to be in. Hopefully, we can keep this going and see where we wind up."

Uploaded August 1, 2001