Late blast off Kaye ruins visit to Ranch

By DAVE RASBACH
Valley Press Staff Writer

In Lancaster's first visit to The Ranch on June 11, Chin-Feng Chen belted a 13th-inning two-run homer to turn away the JetHawks. Monday, it was Eric Riggs who broke the JetHawks' hearts.

Riggs' ninth-inning grand slam into the netting above the rightfield wall off Lancaster closer Justin Kaye erased a one-run Lancaster lead and gave the Stampede a 7-4 victory before 1,056 delighted fans.

"We put our closer out there to close the door, and he didn't close it out," JetHawks manager Darrin Garner said. "It's an extremely tough loss. We should have won that game, but we didn't get the job done."

The blown save was the third of the season for Kaye in 13 chances. It also dropped the JetHawks to 4-8 in the second half and a franchise-worst 28 games under .500 overall (27-55).

Kaye, who came in with the JetHawks leading 4-3 entering the bottom of the ninth, allowed a leadoff single back up the middle to Nick Theodorou on his fourth pitch of the game. Theodorou advanced to second on Brett Illig's sacrifice bunt and to third on a passed ball.

Kaye (2-3) then loaded the bases with a walk to John Hernandez and a pitch that hit Ismael Gallo on the thigh.

"When you come in out of the bullpen, you've got to throw strikes," Garner said. "He didn't do that, and you saw what happens when you get behind good hitters."

Kaye also fell behind Riggs, 1-0, before the 22-year-old Indiana resident made him pay with his fourth homer of the year and second in the last two days.

"(Kaye) was throwing a lot of changeups, so I was looking for something hard to drive the other way," Riggs said. "But he got one in on me and I turned on it."

In the first two games of the series against Lancaster, Riggs is 6for-9 with four runs scored, five RBI, a double and two home runs.

Lancaster, which was held to its lowest base-hit total (6) of the second half, grabbed the lead in the second inning when Greg Connors, who led off the frame with a single, scored on a groundout by Marco Estrada to Illig at third base. Illig probably could have thrown out Connors at home plate, but elected to throw to first base on the play for the sure out.

Alex Fernandez made the lead two runs in the fourth inning when he ripped Steve Coyler's first offering over the right-field netting and onto E Street for his sixth home run of the year.

After San Bernardino cut the lead in half in the bottom of the fourth, Jermaine Clark opened the fifth with a triple and scored on Cirilo Cruz's double to center field. Cruz also scored on a sacrifice fly by Patrick Williams to make the score 4-1.

Starter Brandon Parker left in line for the win after seven strong innings.

Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Mark Grudzielanek wrapped up his four-game rehabilitation assignment with the Stampede by picking up a single in his first of two at-bats Monday. Grudzielanek, who suffered a broken right hand June 1, took a flight after the game to join his Dodgers teammates in Colorado after going 4for-16 with San Bernardino.

Los Angeles reliever Antonio Osuna, who still is suffering from an elbow injury, began his third rehab stint of the season with San Bernardino with a five-minute session in the bullpen. Osuna, who threw just 20 pitches, is expected to start Wednesday's game against High Desert.