Bats left on the road

JetHawks revert to anemic offense

This story appeared in the Antelope Valley Press April 16, 1998.
By BRIAN GOLDEN
Valley Press Staff Writer
LANCASTER - Patrick Dunham continues to deserve better.

But in trying to give it to him, the Lancaster JetHawks only made things worse Wednesday night.

Following an eruption of 20 runs and 25 in a doubleheader sweep at Modesto Tuesday, the JetHawk offense got misplaced on the five-hour bus ride home to a 3-1 loss to the San Jose Giants before a huddled mass of 2,384 at The Hangar.

On Tax Night, no one had a more taxing evening than manager Rick Burleson, who saw Jethawks thrown out at third base and home plate, and unable to score from third base with no one out.

"That's why we're where we are," Burleson said after his team slipped to 5-8. "We have to improve on our execution."

San Jose won its eighth game in the last 11 on the strength of a four-hitter over six innings by Joe Nathan (2-0) and the kind of timely situational hitting Lancaster has sorely lacked this season.

Dunham dug a hole for himself by balking Giants leadoff batter Michael Byars to third base with one out in the third inning.

Byars, who also provoked a balk from Dunham in the first inning, then was in position to dash home on a wild pitch to Josh Tyler.

Lancaster catcher Karl Thompson chased down the errant pitch and got the ball back to home plate in advance of Byars' arrival. But Dunham's tag was high.

"They call the balk rule differently her than where I was last year," said Dunham, the Seattle Mariners second-round draft selection out of Auburn last June. "I have to make the adjustment. I can't make those kind of mistakes and win ballgames."

Dunham, who is starting after debuting in pro ball at short season Class A Everett as a reliever is 0-3 despite a 2,87 ERA.

The JetHawks tied the game in their half of the third when No. 9 hitter Ramon Vasquez walked and raced home on Adonis Harrison's ensuing triple up the alley in left-center field.

Nathan stranded Harrison at third by striking out Anton French, slipping a called third strike past Luis Tinoco and rolling out Jason Bass to first base.

Vasquez and Harrison tried to team up for the tying run in the fifth inning, when Vasquez drew a one-out walk and moved up 90 feet on a wild pitch.

Harrison grounded a single to right, and Burleson never hesitated waving Vasquez around third.

The 21-year-old infielder started his slide prematurely, though, allowing Pedro Mota's throw to erase him at the plate.

Doubles by Juan Dilone and Mota gave San Jose a 2-1 lead in the fourth inning.

The Giants made it 3-1 against Lancaster reliever Brian Sweeney in the seventh. Carlos Mendoza, San Jose's No. 9-batting shortstop, singled and stole second.

After Byars pushed a ground ball to the right side to advance him another 90 feet, Mendez scored on a fly ball by Young to right field.

"They score on a crummy sacrifice fly that barely travels 250 feet, and we can't get home from second on a single to the outfield," said Burleson. "They're playing well right now, and they make those plays. We can do that, too."

Lancaster ran itself out of potential rally in the sixth.

Anton French opened Nathan's final inning atop the mound by rifling a double into the left field corner.

French never saw Burleson's stop sign, speeding around second base and to get himself thrown out by five feet on a relay from Dilone to Mendoza To Josh Tyler.

French's over-aggressiveness became even more painful when Jayson Bass beat out an infield single that would have stationed runners at the corners with one out.

"There's a matter of someone trying too hard to make things happen," Burleson said.

Relievers Rob Crabtree (a Cal State Northridge product) and Jim Stoops combined to retire the final nine JetHawk batters. Stoops picked up his fourth save in five appearances, during which he has yet to allow a run.

---

Thursday news page
News page
Valley Press home page
Uploaded April 16, 1998