JetHawks' pen goes up in smoke as Blaze prevails

Lancaster's shaky bullpen wasted a 6-2 lead as the JetHawks lost their seventh straight game

By DAVE RASBACH
Valley Press Staff Writer

The Lancaster JetHawks opened play in their third city during a nine-game road trip that has taken them to Rancho Cucamonga, Modesto and Bakersfield.

Unfortunately for the JetHawks, their misfortune and inability to hold leads has followed them everywhere.

Lancaster squandered leads of two and four runs and dropped its seventh game in as many tries on the road swing with a 8-6 defeat at the hands of the Blaze before 775 fans at Sam Lynn Ballpark.

Lancaster's franchise- and minor league-worst record fell to 34 games under .500 (34-68 overall) and to 11-21 in the second half.

The JetHawks, who have scored first in five of the first seven games of the road trip, have watched leads slip away in all those games by allowing 17 runs in the final three innings of play since they left home after taking two of three from Stockton on July 17-19.

Monday, Lancaster carried a 6-2 lead into the bottom of the sixth. Starter Brandon Parker stood to take the victory after holding the Blaze to two earned runs
on six hits and four walks while striking out nine through five innings of work.

But once Parker left the game, Bakersfield started the comeback with two runs against reliever Justin Kaye in the sixth to draw within 6-4.

Kaye then walked the leadoff batter in the seventh inning before giving way to Juan Ramos, who allowed consecutive singles to John Summers and Cody Ransom to load the bases with no outs.

Ramos gave the JetHawks a little hope when he retired Arturo McDowell on a pop-up, but then walked in a run by issuing a free pass to Jake Messner.

Steve Hill then beat out a doubleplay attempt by the JetHawks, allowing Summers to score the game-tying run.

It didn't take Ransom long to score the third run of the inning on a wild pitch by Ramos (1-4) and give the Blaze a 7-6 lead, which they managed to add a run to in the eighth inning.

Ramos allowed three earned runs on three hits, a walk, a hit batter and one wild pitch in his two innings of work.

That wasn't the first squandered lead during the game.

The JetHawks took a 2-0 advantage into the bottom of the third after getting an RBI single from Greg Connors in the first and an RBI double from Marco Estrada in the second. But that lead also went by the wayside.

Jeff Allen's two-out single scored Hill and Clay Greene to tie the game in the bottom of the third.

Lancaster rebuilt the lead with two unearned runs in the fifth thanks to one of four errors charged to Bakersfield third baseman Tony Torcato. Patrick Williams and Connors added two more RBI in the sixth to give the JetHawks a seemingly comfortable lead.

But once again, it wasn't nearly enough.

The JetHawks will again look to end their latest losing streak tonight against Bakersfield starter Manuel Bernudez (4-10, 4.92 ERA).

Lancaster's Greg Wooten (4-3, 3.86 ERA) will oppose Bernudez.

Uploaded July 27, 1999