By CHRIS BRANAM
Staff Writer
LANCASTER - Put up or shut up finally became put up for the Lancaster JetHawks.
The JetHawks, who've talked about making the California League playoffs for the past two weeks while playing .500 baseball, gained some momentum with a 7-5 victory over Lake Elsinore Friday night.
Shawn Buhner had three hits and Ken Cloude went a solid seven innings in front of a paid attendance of 4,310 at The Hangar.
Lancaster (26-28) moved to within 5½-games of the first-place Storm (32-23), who saw their two-game winning streak snapped.
Cloude (14-4) bounced back from his shortest outing of the season, a two-inning disaster against High Desert Sunday, to shut down the Storm, a team he's 1-0 against with a 2.77 ERA.
"We're pretty much down to our last straw as far as making the playoffs," Cloude said. "I felt like I had better command of my pitches."
And he seemed to regain the look of a pitcher who is hungry again. Cloude admitted recently that when he got his 11th win, ironically against Lake Elsinore July 8, he got a little comfortable and wasn't aggressive.
He was a different pitcher Friday, striking out eight and using his fastball more effectively.
He also retired the side in order in the first, on two popups and a fly out. His performances in the first have usually been a good barometer for how Cloude was going to pitch that day.
"(Cloude) went right at them and was aggressive in the first," Lancaster manager Dave Brundage said. "Today, I felt he was ready to pitch."
Cloude saved his best for last. Facing the heart of the Lake Elsinore order with a man on first and a one-run lead, he struck out Ty Van Burkleo and Bret Hemphill.
"I hope (Cloude) throws together about four more quality outings," Brundage said.
Cloude benefited from another JetHawk who came out of a funk.
Buhner, who was 0-for-14 since coming off the disabled list August 8, had a double, single and triple in his first three at-bats.
He drove in the JetHawks' first run and last run, collecting a season-high three RBI.
Buhner tripled against the Storm's Brian Cooper (7-9) in the sixth, giving the JetHawks a 4-3 lead that they wouldn't relinquish.
He hadn't gotten a hit since July 13.
"I've been feeling good," he said. "I don't think my timing has been messed up, I just wasn't having any luck getting hits."
Buhner needed a homer in the eighth to hit for the cycle. Instead, he hit a run-scoring fielder's choice that capped a three-run rally and gave the JetHawks a 7-3 lead.
"Once I hit third (in the sixth), I heard someone yell `Hit for the cycle,' " said Buhner, who has three homers this year. "I was just trying to pick up the `ribbie' (in the eighth). I don't ever swing for the fence."
Speaking of homers, Scott Smith hit his ninth as a JetHawk in the eighth against Storm reliever Jason Hill. He had struck out in his first three at-bats.
And although Jesus Marquez didn't hit his fourth homer of the homestand, he did pick up his team-leading 100th RBI with a fifth-inning single.
The Storm scored three times against Cloude in the fifth, including twice on Van Burkleo's 13th homer of the year, and second since coming off the disabled list with a broken foot.
Lake Elsinore also scored twice in the ninth against reliever John Thompson, and had the potential tying run on first with two outs.
But Thompson struck out Cale Carter looking to end the game.