Modesto puts squeeze on JetHawks' streak

A perfectly executed squeeze play by Modesto snapped Lancaster's seven-game winning streak.

The Modesto A's executed a perfect squeeze bunt to score what turned out to be the winning run in a 4-3 victory over the JetHawks on Friday.

The A's ended a seven-game losing streak, and at the same time snapped Lancaster's longest winning streak of the season. The A's finally broke through against Lancaster, which had claimed the last six meetings between the teams by a combined score of 70-20.

"I think they felt they had something to prove against us," Lancaster manager Rick Burleson said. "We just tried to do the same things we've been doing."

Unfortunately, Lancaster didn't exactly do that Friday.

Unlike during the seven-game winning streak, when the JetHawks seemed to get key hits whenever they needed them, Lancaster stranded 11 runners on base, including two on third.

Modesto, on the other hand, got the key hit it needed to score what proved to be the winning run in the eighth.

Lancaster had just scored two runs in the top of the frame to trim the A's advantage to one run, 3-2. But Mike Wolff opened the bottom half of the inning with a double off the right-center field wall against Lancaster reliever Allan Westfall. He advanced to third on Brian Luderer's sacrifice bunt.

That brought up Caonabo Cosme, who took a strike on the first pitch.

"I thought about pitching out when we got the first strike," Burleson said. "I gave (catcher Francisco Santiestaban) a sign to make sure they saw I gave him a sign. I wanted them to think a pitchout might be on."

But that play wasn't on. Westfall delivered a strike, and Cosme pushed it down the right-field line as Wolff streaked for home plate. Westfall couldn't come up cleanly with the ball, and didn't have a chance to make a play at home.

Although that run made the score 4-2, Lancaster didn't go away quietly.

Adonis Harrison drew a one-out walk. Ramon Vazquez hit the ball hard, but right at Modesto left fielder Hipolito Martinez, missing his chance to pick up his fourth hit of the night.

Cirilo Cruz Jr. moved Harrison up a base with an infield single off the glove of Modesto reliever David Carroll, before Brendan Kingman sent a rocket into right-center field to score Harrison, trimming the lead to one run.

"We had the potential tying run at second base and the go-ahead run at first in the ninth inning," Burleson said. "Really, that's all you can ask for."

Unfortunately for Lancaster, Jason Regan couldn't put the ball in play as he struck out on four pitches.

Lancaster struggled through the first seven innings of the game, even though it put a runner on base every inning and piled up 12 hits to Modesto's eight.

"We had our chances tonight," Burleson said.

Brian Fuentes took the loss after struggling in the first two innings. Modesto jumped out to a 2-0 lead after the first and added a run in the second on five hits, a walk and a Lancaster error.

But the left-hander rebounded to pitch four solid innings after his shaky start.