Nuts clinch postseason spot in front of sellout crowd
The sellout crowd was the second largest in Modesto baseball history. Modesto' all-time single game attendance record is 5,424. It was set on July 3 and happened against the Blaze. The Nuts are now 4,039 fans away from breaking their all-time season attendance record of 164,306.
Bruce Billings (6-9) earned the win after holding the Blaze to just one hit over seven shutout innings. Billings struck out seven and walked three in his first win since returning from the disabled list.
Scott Beerer was 1-for-3 with three RBI. He tripled in two runs during a four run Modesto first inning. Hector Gomez scored three runs and was 2-for-4 with a RBI in the win.
The Modesto (71-60) victory, combined with a San Jose win, eliminated the Blaze (67-74) from winning the 2nd half title. The Nuts clinched a post season playoff spot about an hour after the conclusion of their game when the Ports lost their game in Rancho Cucamonga. Stockton took a 7-3 lead into the ninth, but lost after the Quakes rallied for five runs. Jeremy Moore hit a three run walk-off home run in the ninth.
Modesto's magic number to clinch the top spot in the Wild Card (the number two seed in the playoffs) is three.
Charlie Blackmon and Jason Van Kooten started Modesto's first inning rally with consecutive infield hits against Blaze starter Richard Bleier (7-10). Both Blackmon and Van Kooten advanced a bag when the Nuts put on a double steal. Gomez drove in Blackmon with a bloop single to center to give the Nuts a 1-0 lead. Beerer then followed with a triple to right that scored Van Kooten and Gomez.
Jay Cox brought Beerer in from third with a sacrifice fly to center to put Modesto up 4-0. The Nuts had four consecutive hits and scored four runs in the first.
Bleier allowed three more hits and another run in the third before leaving after the sixth. He allowed eight total hits and struck out four over six innings. He allowed seven hits over the first three innings, but just one more in the sixth before leaving the game. He allowed five earned runs and did not walk a batter in the loss.
Modesto picked up their fifth run in the third when Gomez scored on a sacrifice fly to deep center by Beerer.
The Blaze scored twice in the eighth against Austin Chambliss, but were held scoreless by Billings through the first seven innings. Craig Baker worked a scoreless ninth to finish the game.
Gomez scored Modesto's final run in the eighth after Hector Nelo allowed him to reach safely on a single to center. Gomez eventually stole second, and with Beerer batting, reached third on a wild pitch. Cox drove him in from third with a single to right.
The Nuts stole four bases in the game. They were 3-for-6 with runners in scoring position and left four men on base. The win snapped their three game home losing streak.