By CHRIS BRANAM
Staff Writer
SAN BERNARDINO - Most of the time, the Lancaster JetHawks don't even to refer to him by his real name.
Fernando is what they call San Bernardino's Dennis Reyes, noting Reyes' physical similarities with former Dodger and current San Diego Padres pitcher Fernando Valenzuela.
Fiscalini Field looked a lot like Dodger Stadium in the early 1980s Friday night. Is "Reyesmania" next?
Reyes struck out 12 and combined with Jeff Paluk to shutout the JetHawks 4-0 in front of a paid attendance of 2,231, sending the JetHawks to their third-straight loss.
Lancaster (13-10, 49-44 overall) failed in its fourth attempt to hit the 50-win mark for the season. The first-place Stampede improved to 15-9.
Reyes, who came into the game averaging a strikeout per inning (105 strikeouts in 105 innings), struck out at least two batters in four of the first five innings, including the side in the first.
The portly 19-year-old from Mexico struck out 12, the fourth time he's struck out 10 or more in a game this season, to improve to 8-8.
"We joke around that there are a lot of similarities there," Lancaster's Jason Cook said about Reyes' resemblance to Valenzuela. "I think he just mixed it up well tonight. You couldn't look for any one pitch on any count."
Reyes won his first game against Lancaster this year after going 0-2 with a 6.75 ERA in three previous starts against the JetHawks.
Although Reyes didn't get a decision in his first start against Lancaster on April 29, he struck out eight in 5 1/3 innings.
"He's been hot and cold against us," Cook said. "We'll probably see him again at the end of the season (in the final road trip at San Bernardino). We'll finish with a win against him."
Lancaster manager Dave Brundage said Reyes' fastball was his most effective pitch.
"(Reyes) had better command tonight," he said. "He's struggled with his fastball. Tonight we were aggressive at the wrong times and not aggressive at the wrong times."
Reyes and Lancaster starter Marino Santana combined for 24 strikeouts. Santana left after the sixth and Reyes went eight.
The Stampede had six hits in a four-run third against Santana, who threw six shutout innings in a June 1 victory at Fiscalini Field.
Chip Sell led off with a single and scored on Rafael Gross' fifth homer, a drive over the left-field wall.
One out later, Eddie Davis and Jim Martin had back-to-back singles, with Davis going to third.
Adrian Beltre drove a ball deep to right-center field that was caught by Jesus Marquez on the warning track. The sacrifice fly scored Davis to make it 3-0.
The next batter, Chad Townsend, hit a blooper up the middle that second baseman Cook fielded, but his throw was too late. Martin scored to give the Stampede a 4-0 lead.
Those were the only runs Santana (7-10) gave up as he matched Reyes strikeout for strikeout, recording a season-high 12.
"(Santana) just got some bad breaks," JetHawks catcher Dusty Wathan said. "He pitched good tonight, he pitched real good."
But Santana also gave up 10 hits, the most he's allowed in a game this season, in an uneven performance.
"(Santana) kept us in the game," Brundage said. "With the way we score runs. . . four runs would have kept us in the game."