By CHRIS BRANAM
Valley Press Staff Writer
MODESTO - Here comes the pitching.
The Lancaster JetHawks, who've watched a struggling staff fall to second-to-last in the California League, got solid performances from three pitchers in Saturday's 7-4 win over the Modesto A's at John Thurman Field.
Joe Victery pitched well in his first start of the season, then watched Aaron Scheffer keep the A's at bay in long relief.
Victery, who was 2-1 with a lofty 7.63 ERA out of the bullpen this season, only gave up one run and struck out seven.
The JetHawks helped him out by jumping out to a 5-1 lead.
"I was a little bit nervous starting off," he said. "Pitching with a lead helps."
Scheffer was a big reason why the JetHawks maintained the comfortable lead. He was thrown into the game when Kevin Gryboski was struck on the hip with a line drive in the sixth and had to leave the game.
Scheffer got a groundout to strand a runner on third and went on to give up one run in 2 2/3 innings.
"Scheffer stepped up big," Lancaster manager Rick Burleson said. "I think our bullpen is shaping up."
Scheffer struck out three and walked two. He said he used his fastball more effectively than in the past.
"I fall in love with my slider too much," he said. "I was just getting ahead of the hitters."
Scheffer came within two outs of picking up his first save. But he was replaced by Rafael Rivera with a runner on first and one out in the ninth.
Rivera struck out the next two Modesto hitters to pick up his second save.
The JetHawks took a 5-1 lead against Modesto starter Tom Bennett with three runs in the fourth.
With no outs and runners at first and second, Mike Martin picked up Lancaster's third straight hit, an RBI single that scored Tarrik Brock.
Joe Mathis had a run-scoring single and Chris Dean had a sacrifice fly with the bases loaded to cap the rally.
The JetHawks wasted no time in taking a 1-0 lead against Bennett.
Mathis singled to lead off the game and eventually scored on James Clifford's sacrifice fly.
The A's tied the game in the second when Juan Dilone homered over the center-field wall on his 24th birthday.
That was the only major mistake Victery made in his four-inning stint. He helped himself in the third and fourth by striking out two in each inning.
He was relieved by Gryboski to start the fifth. Gryboski threw one scoreless inning before he was forced to leave the game in the sixth.
With runners on first and second and two outs, Tim Jones hit a line drive that struck Gryboski in the side and rolled into left field.
A.J. Hinch, who was on second, scored, and T.J. Marcinczyk also came home when the JetHawks tried to catch Jones drifting off first. First baseman James Clifford's throw home was wide of the plate and rolled into the Lancaster dugout.
The JetHawks were without the services of reliever Sean Spencer, who had to undergo surgery Saturday to relieve a staph infection.
Burleson said Spencer, who is 1-0 with three saves and a 2.18 ERA, may miss five to 10 days.