Lancaster reaches for a dirty dozen

Chin-Feng Chen's triple broke a ninth-inning tie as Lancaster lost its franchise-worst 12th straight game

By DAVE RASBACH
Valley Press Staff Writer

Outfielder Chin-Feng Chen picked up his 12th RBI against Lancaster this season with his triple to the base of the scoreboard in right field in the top of the ninth inning.

That RBI broke a tie and sent the JetHawks to their franchiserecord 12th consecutive defeat as the Stampede scored the final three runs in a 7-5 victory before 3,044 fans at Lancaster Municipal Stadium.

"He's a JetHawks killer," Lancaster manager Darrin Garner said of Chen. "We can't seem to get the kid out, and we've tried everything."

The JetHawks (20-46), who have the worst winning percentage in minor league baseball (.303), have not won a game since a 10-2 decision over Modesto on June 3. In fact, that is their only victory in the month of June.

The Stampede (39-27), meanwhile, kept pace with Rancho Cucamonga in the chase for the South Division first-half title.

Chen, who hit a two-run homer Friday to end a 13-inning marathon with the JetHawks in San Bernardino and a pair of two-run blasts that proved to be the difference Tuesday, once again was the JetHawks' chief nemesis.

With the score tied 5-5, Jorge Piedra led off the top of the ninth with an infield single which, not coincidentally, was the Stampede's 12th hit of the night. Lancaster second baseman Jermaine Clark made a nice play to stop the ball, but could not make a throw to retire Piedra.

After Jimy Gonzalez's sacrifice bunt, Chen laced a 1-1 offering from Justin Kaye (2-2) into right field and just over the outstretched glove of Matt Sachse. Piedra easily scored, and Chen showed good speed to pick up a standup triple.

"It was another big hit for him," Garner said. "I said we need to make him hit our pitch, but Justin left it up. . . He hit it, so we've got to tip our hat to him."

Chen, who is the first Taiwanese player in the North American minor leagues since 1975, added an insurance run on Ismael Gallo's RBI single up the middle.

That ruined one of the JetHawks' best opportunities to end their current losing streak, which is now nearing two weeks in duration.

Despite a shaky beginning, Lancaster starter Neil Longo settled down to have a pretty good outing.

"He did the best with what he had," Garner said.

Longo was charged with nine hits in his 6 innings of work, but six of them came in the first two innings of play. Longo dug himself into a quick 3-0 hole in the top of the first when he allowed four of those hits.

Robb Gorr doubled in the first run of the game with his shot down the third-base line. Gallo singled in Chen and Gorr scored from third on a double steal.

Longo also allowed a second-inning run on a bases-loaded doubleplay groundout by Gonzalez.

But those were the last runs the Lancaster right-hander allowed until Gorr's single off Kaye plated Piedra, who picked up a one-out single off Longo. That run tied the game 5-5.

Longo, who didn't factor into the decision, was charged with five earned runs and four walks, while striking out two.

Lancaster bailed Longo out of his early trouble with a four-run first inning of its own to claim a 4-3 lead. The inning was the biggest opening frame for the JetHawks since they scored four runs April 24 against Stockton.

The big rally came on the strength of a pair of two-run homers by Ricky Magdaleno and Mike Marchiano. Prior to those two home runs, the JetHawks had only three homers in their previous 11 games.

Magdaleno's, which was his first since joining the JetHawks on May 27, came after Harvey Hargrove drew a one-out walk. Marchiano's blast, which was his second of the season and first since April 19, followed a Greg Connors walk.

"We're scrapping, trying to find anything right now," Marchiano said.

Connors walked and scored a second time in the third inning when Cirilo Cruz Jr. went the other way for an RBI single in the third to give the JetHawks the 5-4 advantage they held until the Stampede tied the game in the seventh.