The Modesto Nuts made it eight straight wins on Saturday night with a 10-7 win over Stockton. CF Colin Davis was 3-for-3 and drove in three runs while 2B Cesar Izturis Jr. was 3-for-4 with two doubles. RF Spencer Packard was 3-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored.
Modesto scored nine runs over the first four innings off of Stockton starter RHP Angello Infante. RHP Sam Carlson (W, 5-3) started for the Nuts and went five innings, allowing three runs (2ER) on four hits and no walks with eight strikeouts.
With a record of 51-43, Modesto is now tied with Rancho Cucamonga at 8 1/2 games behind San Jose (60-35) for the second playoff spot.
FRESNO – 2
VISALIA – 6
LHP Kyle Backhus earned his first win with five strong innings and RF Neyfy Castillo hit his 16th homer to lead Visalia to a 6-2 win over the Fresno Grizzlies Saturday night. Backhus gave up two hits and two walks while striking out six with both runs allowed unearned.
Castillo hit a three-run shot in the bottom of the fourth inning to erase a 2-0 deficit. SS Ryan Bliss went 3-for-4 and singled in a run for Visalia. C Adrian Del Castillo added a sac fly.
SS Julio Carreras led Fresno with two hits and two RBIs.
The Rawhide have won three of the five games in this series and six of their last 10 games overall.
SAN JOSE – 3
RANCHO CUCAMONGA – 2
The San Jose Giants rolled to their fifth straight win over Rancho Cucamonga on Saturday night as 2B Jimmy Glowenke and 1B Luis Toribio homered. Glowenke’s 9th HR of the year, a solo shot, got the Giants on the board in the sixth inning and Toribio put them up with a two-run shot, his 6th.
RHP Randy Rodriguez pitched four scoreless, hitless innings for San Jose out of the bullpen, striking out six with no walks.
RF Jose Ramos doubled in both Rancho Cucamonga runs in the third inning.
RHP Andre Jackson started for the Quakes and went 5 2/3, allowing one run on four hits with a walk and five strikeouts.
San Jose (60-35) moved to within two games of first-place Fresno in the North division and is 8 1/2 games ahead of Modesto and Rancho Cucamonga for the final playoff spot.
LAKE ELSINORE – 3
INLAND EMPIRE – 0
Four Lake Elsinore pitchers shut out the Inland Empire 66ers on six hits while ringing up 16 strikeouts as the Storm earned a 3-0 win on Saturday night. 2B Euribiel Angeles had two hits and 3B Lucas Dunn had an RBI single for Lake Elsinore.
RHP Levi Thomas started for the Storm and went four innings, allowing three hits and two walks with seven strikeouts. RHP Jason Reynolds threw three shutout innings in relief and allowed two hits and no walks while striking out six.
Inland Empire 2B Kyren Paris went 1-for-2 with a triple and two walks. C Myles Emmerson was 2-for-4.
Angeles leads the Cal League in hitting at .346 and is fourth in OBP at .402.
