Lancaster on wrong end of the broom

San Jose put the finishing touches on a series sweep as Lancaster fell eight games off the Valley Division pace.

After winning 12 of 15 games to get back in the Valley Division first-half title run, the JetHawks hoped to at least take two of three from division-leading San Jose in an important showdown and hope for a sweep.

As it turned out, the JetHawks were the ones on the other end of the broom.

The Giants put the finishing touches on a series sweep with a 4-0 victory over the JetHawks Wednesday night before 1,032 at Municipal Stadium.

"They really put a whopping to us," JetHawks manager Rick Burleson said. "It was kind of a wake up call for us to see where we're at. We still have a ways to go."

San Jose, which now has won eight straight and 14 of its last 15 games, took and eight-game lead over the JetHawks with 10 left to play in the first half.

San Jose's sweep was the first time Lancaster has been blanked in a three-game series this year.

"It's very tough," Cirilo Cruz Jr. said. "We came here to win this series so that we could get in the race for the first-half title."

Much like their 5-2 loss to San Jose on Monday, the JetHawks struggled to get their offense going Wednesday. Only seven Lancaster batters reached base - four on hits and three on walks - as the JetHawks were shut out for only the second time this year.

When Lancaster had an opportunity to score, it couldn't convert.

The JetHawks loaded the bases with two outs in the top of the second on two walks and an infield single from Luis Tinoco. But the Giants got out of the inning unscathed when Karl Thompson sent a hard-hit shot right to Juan Dilone in right field.

The same thing happened in the fifth, when Joel Ramirez picked up a one-out double and took third on Thompson's groundout. Adonis Harrison then ripped a shot right at Michael Byas in center field to end the threat.

"When we hit the ball hard, it seemed to be right at them," Burleson said. "If we gave them an opportunity, they took advantage."

While San Jose's offensive production wasn't exactly overwhelming, it was effective enough to grab the victory.

Mark Gulseth plated the first run of the game with a solo home run in the bottom of the fourth - his fourth of the season.

It looked like the game might turn ugly in the fifth, when Benji Simonton led off the inning with a single that fell in front of Michael Moore when he lost it in the twilight. Two more singles by Tony Zuniga and Yorvit Torrealba loaded the bases with no outs against Lancaster starter Lindsay Gulin (1-2).

Gulin then hit Carlos Campusano on an 0-2 pitch to force in a run and walked Byas to make the score 3-0.

A nice double play, started on a lineout to Gulin, helped limit the Giants to just two runs in the inning.

Torrealba added an unearned run against Allan Westfall in the bottom of the seventh, scoring on a disputed balk call.

San Jose starter Joe Nathan (4-2) did a good job of holding the Lancaster offense in check, pitching eight scoreless innings. He struck out nine and allowed only four hits and two walks.

As usual, the San Jose defense also was solid with another errorless game. The Giants committed only two errors in the three-game series.

"They're a solid team, and they're on a roll," Burleson said. "They're playing good ball right now."