That was also the bad news, that the JetHawks trailed by four entering the ninth against the team with the second-worst record in the California League in the first half.
But the Oaks didn't look like it in front of 5,930 fans at The Hangar, the second-largest crowd of the season. They pounded out 10 hits, including three home runs, and got a solid start from a pitcher, Gary Goldsmith, who was loaned to the Oaks by the team with the worst pitching in the majors - Detroit.
"Anytime you give up a five-spot in the first inning," Lancaster manager Dave Brundage said, "your backs are against the wall."
The JetHawks trailed by almost that much, 8-4, entering the ninth and scored twice before Scott Smith grounded into a game-ending double play.
The Oaks ended up having to use closer Dave Tuttle to save the game after Alex Pena gave up a walk and a single to start the ninth.
"I'm just glad (Goldsmith) was out of the game," Brundage said. "From the third inning on, we didn't do anything against him."
Goldsmith went a strong eight innings, striking out seven and walking four.
Chris Facione's three-run homer in the first was the first of three Oaks home runs off Lancaster starter Brett Hinchliffe.
David Roberts led off the game with a single and Malvin DeJesus doubled. Roberts scored on Bo Durcak's groundout, and then Hinchliffe's wild pitch allowed DeJesus to score from third to make it 2-0.
Hinchliffe's start became even worse when he dropped Shawn Buhner's throw as he was covering first base on Keith Kimsey's ground ball.
Chris Lemonis walked and Facione drilled his fifth homer of the season over the right-field wall to make it 5-0.
The JetHawks scored twice in the second against Goldsmith.
Doug Carroll doubled to left-center field, his sixth hit in four games since being promoted from Wisconsin.
After Chris Dean walked and Shawn Buhner singled to load the bases, Dusty Wathan and Carlos Villalobos had back-to-back RBI groundouts that cut into the Oaks' lead.
Hinchliffe retired the Oaks in order in the second and then gave up Kimsey's California League-leading 18th homer that made it 6-2.
But Lancaster came back in the third on Jesus Marquez's two-run homer to right, his ninth of the season.
Hinchliffe (5-8) settled down over the next two innings, allowing just Eric Danapilis' lead-off double in the fourth, before he was knocked out of the game in the sixth.
Del Marine hit his 11th homer of the season and the Oaks' third of the game with one out in the sixth to increase the lead to 7-4.
Visalia made it 8-4 later in the sixth on Roberts' run-scoring groundout.
In his first start of the second half, Hinchliffe gave up seven earned run and seven hits in 5 1/3 innings. He also struck out five and walked two.
Entering the game, that might have been Goldsmith's line. He had given up a team-leading 10 homers and came in with a 4.94 ERA.
But the 24-year-old right-hander got stronger as the game wore on.
After he got Dean to ground into a force out with runners on first and second to end the fifth, Goldsmith retired the next eight batters before Dean singled with two outs in the eighth.
The JetHawks will send right-hander Ken Cloude (8-2, 3.23) to the mound today to face right-hander John Kelly (2-8, 7.79) at 5 p.m.