JetHawks blow lead, lose 12-7

Opponents feel Johnson plays dirty, and they can point to his third-inning catcher's interference call against Lancaster on Wednesday night as an example. With runners on the corners and one out, Brian Gordon hit what appeared to be an inning-ending double play, but Johnson interfered with Gordon's swing, and plate umpire Toby Hoy called him on it. The JetHawks converted the mistake into four runs, taking a three-run lead.

But Johnson's fourth-inning blast off JetHawks starter Duaner Sanchez, an arcing shot to dead-center field and Johnson's second home run of the game, began High Desert's comeback and Sanchez's collapse. Over the next two innings, Sanchez recorded five outs and allowed seven runs on six hits, three walks and an error. The Mavericks scored six runs in the sixth inning and beat the JetHawks, 12-7.

"Sometimes (Sanchez) gets a little frustrated, he wants to make a good pitch when somebody beats him," Coolbaugh said. "That home run Johnson hit on a slider affected him. From there, he just kind of struggled."

Johnson finished the day 3-for-4 with a walk, three runs and three runs batted in. Cristian Guerrero doubled and singled three times, Dave Krynzel batted 3-for-5 with three runs and four RBI and Steve Scarborough added three singles as the Mavericks out-hit the JetHawks, 16-9.

The loss snapped Lancaster's three-game winning streak and gave the JetHawks a final road record of 22-48, worst in the league. The JetHawks play their final five games at home.

Playing their first game without middle-of-the-order staples Billy Martin and Matt Kata, who were promoted to Class-AA El Paso, the JetHawks offense appeared flat. They scored five runs over the first three innings, but two High Desert errors led to all five, and only one was earned. After a four-run third inning, the JetHawks didn't manage a base hit until the eighth. While their offense lapsed, the Mavericks turned the game into a blowout.

"We scored seven runs," Coolbaugh said. "You can't complain about that."

The big problem was that the ever-inconsistent Sanchez was off. Sanchez's pitches appeared flat and he struggled with his control, walking six in 4 innings, including a bases-loaded walk in the fifth that tied the game at 5-5.

He escaped a major jam in the fourth, leaving the bases loaded and clinging to a one-run lead, before collapsing in the fifth. After the bases-loaded walk, Krynzel hit a two-run single to put the Mavericks ahead for good, and an error and two more singles scored three insurance runs, giving the Mavericks a 10-5 lead.

"Duaner wasn't able to locate his pitches and keep the lead," Coolbaugh said. "When he located his pitches, he got outs. When he didn't, they hit the ball hard."

Sanchez (2-4) allowed 10 runs, seven earned, in 4 innings. He allowed 11 hits, walked six and struck out two.

High Desert starter Matt Parker (13-6) pitched six effective innings, allowing five runs, one earned, on five hits. He struck out seven and walked one.

Lancaster's Ryan Jones hit a two-run home run in the eighth, pulling Lancaster within five.

Uploaded August 30, 2001