Lancaster takes a second night off

San Bernardino pitcher Paul Avery kept Lancaster off-balance in a loss that tightened the Valley Division wild-card race

But after winning eight of their last nine games and 13 of their last 17, the Lancaster JetHawks may have liked to have kept things going.

After an off-day Monday, the JetHawks struggled to a 5-0 loss at San Bernardino Tuesday before 2,861 Stampede fans at The Ranch.

"I don't know if we were flat because we were coming off a big series (against High Desert) or because of the off-day," JetHawks manager Rick Burleson said. "These players need to realize that we need to pick it up. We can't just show up and expect to win."

Lancaster was held to five hits in the game and shut out for only the third time this season. The last time the JetHawks were blanked was June 3 at San Jose.

Tuesday's loss was compounded by a 6-4 Modesto win over High Desert at John Thurman Field. With that win, the A's pulled within one game of the JetHawks in the Valley Division wild-card race. Lancaster's magic number to clinch a playoff spot remains at five.

The Lancaster offense, which pounded out 17 hits in Sunday's 13-6 win over High Desert at Lancaster Municipal Stadium, was shut down by Stampede starter Paul Avery and reliever Pedro Flores.

Avery, who was the Los Angeles Dodgers' 15th-round selection out of Pepperdine in last June's draft, held Lancaster to only three hits and two walks through six innings.

"(Avery) pitched pretty well against us when we faced him last week," Burleson said. "I don't think we scored any runs against him. I don't know exactly what it is."

Avery has now allowed only one earned run in 15 1/3 innings as a starter with the Stampede.

When Lancaster did get some well-hit balls against the lefthander, they always seemed to be right at a San Bernardino outfielder.

"Our offense just couldn't generate much against him," Burleson said.

The JetHawks will likely have their work cut out for them during the rest of the series because Ismael Valdes is expected to start Thursday's series finale between the two teams. The Dodgers' righthander will be making a major league rehabilitation start.

Unfortunately for Lancaster, offense wasn't the JetHawks' only problem Tuesday. Starter Brian Fuentes struggled as the Stampede touched him for a quick 4-0 lead.

"Fuentes didn't have the control he's shown recently," Burleson said. "He gave up a lot of twostrike hits."

After the Lancaster left-hander retired the side in order in the bottom of the first, Casey Snow bounced an 0-2 pitch up the middle for a leadoff single in the second. After another single by Ricky Bell, Snow scored on Will McCrotty's flare into center field.

Fuentes (6-7) also surrendered a leadoff single in the bottom of the third to Ramon Moreta. The San Bernardino right fielder stole second base and scored on Rich Saitta's double to left field to make the score 2-0.

After Saitta stole third base, he scored on Snow's second single of the night. Snow also stole a base and scored on a wild pitch to give the Stampede a four-run advantage.

The wild pitch was Fuentes' final offering of the game. He left after 2 1/3 innings, allowing four earned runs on six hits and a walk. It was the first time Fuentes (6-7) did not last at least six innings in his last five starts.

Pete Janicki came on in relief of Fuentes and did a good job of keeping the JetHawks in the game. The right-hander retired 10 of the first 11 batters he faced, before allowing a leadoff walk to Ken Morimoto in the top of the seventh.

Morimoto ended up scoring on Bubba Crosby's single.