Stoops takes Giant-sized piece out of Lancaster

After Lancaster failed to hold a 4-0 lead, the Cal League's premier closer, San Jose's Jim Stoops, shut the door.

If San Jose closer Jim Stoops comes into the game with a save on the line, he's going to convert.

On Saturday, Giants manager Shane Turner asked a little more of the Cal League's premier closer, but Stoops still managed to convert his 25th save in 26 opportunities. Stoops slammed the door on any hopes the Lancaster JetHawks had of rallying in the final 2 1/3 innings of San Jose's 7-5 win before 2,440 fans at Municipal Stadium.

Lancaster fell below .500 again, as the JetHawks' record dipped to 11-12 in the second half of the season. San Jose improved to 13-10 and evened the series at one game apiece, setting up today's 5 p.m. rubber game before the JetHawks board the bus for an eight-hour trip south to Lake Elsinore.

Stoops was almost untouchable for the JetHawks, as only one of the eight batters he faced reached base. The right-hander also struck out five.

The biggest out came in the seventh inning. Lancaster had the tying runner on base after Anton French's bunt single. Will Malerich got Chris Dean to fly out to left field and caught Ramon Vazquez looking on an inside pitch before Turner called for Stoops to face the right-handed Cirilo Cruz Jr.

"They haven't won in three games, so they haven't used him in a while," JetHawks manager Rick Burleson said. "They must have felt that he could go two innings and change. I'm sure they would have liked to have gotten it to the eighth, but they needed him earlier."

Stoops responded by taking Cruz to a full count before getting the Lancaster first baseman to swing at strike three, ending the inning and the JetHawks' last real scoring threat.

Although Lancaster never really threatened again after the seventh, it wasn't the only missed opportunity. The JetHawks left a baker's dozen on base in the game, including seven runners in scoring position.

Lancaster even outhit the Giants 12-9, with all 10 JetHawk batters that came to the plate picking up at least one hit. But the JetHawks could manage only two runs in each of the first two innings and one more in the sixth.

"We had our chances," Burleson said. "We left (13) guys on, and that really hurts you."

The most costly missed opportunity came in the sixth, when Lancaster loaded the bases with two outs and seemed to have Malerich on the ropes. Luis Tinoco worked a 1-2 count full, but watched an inside pitch get called for strike three.

"In that situation, you've got to look fastball and protect against the breaking ball," Burleson said. "He just couldn't pull the trigger."

Lancaster did manage to produce in the first and second, when Jayson Bass drove in Cruz and a passed ball scored Brendan Kingman, who reached base after being hit on the left elbow with a pitch. Kingman eventually had to leave the game after his second-inning single with a knot in his elbow. Burleson expects his all-star to miss today's game.

The JetHawks added two more runs in the second, thanks to RBI singles by Vazquez and Kingman, to take a 4-0 lead.

"You would hope with a 4-0 lead that you could make it last a couple of innings and get it to your bullpen," Burleson said.

But Lancaster couldn't do that, as San Jose rallied for six runs in the bottom of the second. The big hit in that inning was Tony Zuniga's bases-loaded double, which drove in three runners and trimmed Lancaster's lead to 4-3. The hit came off John Thompson (0-1), who was making his first appearance since being sent down from Class AA Orlando.

"That was an 0-2 pitch," Burleson said. "That's what makes that hit so tough. When you're ahead in the count like that, you have to try to make them chase something. You don't want to give him a pitch that he can hammer."

The night got worse for Thompson, who allowed all six runs in the inning on five hits and three walks before being lifted with two outs.