Dunham shows his stuff to A's

Patrick Dunham showed what the Cal League All-Star Game is going to miss as Lancaster beat Modesto.

Despite his impressive record and sub-2.00 ERA, Dunham was left off the Valley Division AllStar roster, which was released early this week.

"On one hand I'm very disappointed that I didn't make it," Dunham said. "But on the other, I'm very happy for all of the guys on this team that did make it."

Dunham once again displayed why he should have been included along with the group of four JetHawks who were named to the 1998 Cal League All-Star Game, as he led Lancaster to a 9-3 victory over Modesto in front of a seasonhigh 4,410 at The Hangar.

"It's a job he's been doing for the entire first half of the season," JetHawks manager Rick Burleson said.

With Dunham's performance, Lancaster moved out of a tie with Modesto into sole possession of second place in the Valley Division, but remained eight games behind division-leading San Jose. The Giants clinched at least a first-half tie with a 7-6 victory over Visalia.

Dunham picked an excellent night to showcase his all-star caliber stuff. Modesto countered with two pitchers who made the Valley Division All-Star roster - Jason Anderson and Tim Manwiller.

Both Anderson and Manwiller pitched well, but were hurt by four A's errors in the first six innings. Neither, though, were as impressive as Dunham.

"I guess I was inspired a little to go out there and show what I have," Dunham said. "I wanted to go out and put it in the back of everybody's minds not to forget about me."

Modesto isn't likely to forget about him. The Lancaster righthander carried a no-hitter through 5 1/3 innings, before Jose Castro singled up the middle. Castro also broke up Dunham's bid for a shutout when he scored on Jeff DaVannon's double.

In fact, as impressive as Dunham was in the first five innings, he actually allowed Modesto to tie the game in the sixth, walking Adam Piat and allowing a two-RBI double to Todd Mensik.

Karl Thompson's nice grab of a tough pop-up from Mike Wolff got Dunham out of the inning with the score tied, 3-3.

"I kept waiting for (third baseman Jason) Regan to call me off, but he said there was no way," Thompson said. "We always practice those before the game with (Burleson) hitting them, but nothing gets you used to that wind."

Dunham pitched a scoreless seventh before giving way to Brain Fitzgerald. Dunham improved his record to 7-3 by allowing three earned runs on five hits and two walks while striking out four.

His teammates made sure he got the victory by scoring four unearned runs that came courtesy of two Modesto errors and three Lancaster hits in the bottom of the sixth.

"It's a sign of a good team that can capitalize off the other team's mistakes," Burelson said. "Sparky Anderson said you don't ever win in this game, the other team gives it to you."

Luis Tinoco started the frame by reaching base on an error for his second consecutive at-bat. After he took second on a balk, Matt Sachse, who was playing in his first game after coming off the disabled list with a dislocated thumb, scored him with a single back up the middle.

Karl Thompson also reached base on error, before Adonis Harrison drove both he and Sachse in with a double down the right-field line. Cruz later singled in Harrison to complete the scoring in the inning.

Manwiller (6-3) took the loss after surrendering the four unearned runs on four hits. Anderson allowed three runs on five hits and three walks in four innings.