The Modesto Nuts broke a 4-4 tie with a two-run ninth inning and then withstood a Rancho Cucamonga rally to win 6-5 on Saturday night at LoanMart Field. Harry Ford and three hits and homered for the second straight night to lead the Nuts.
Sam Carlson went six innings for Modesto and left with a 3-1 lead after giving up a run on three hits and a walk with seven strikeouts. The Nuts stretched it to 4-1 with a sac fly in the seventh before the Quakes tied it up with a run in the seventh and two more in the eighth.
Ford led off the ninth with his ninth homer of the year to go up 5-4 and Modesto tacked on one more to make it 6-4.
Griffin Lockwood-Powell matched Ford’s feat with a leadoff homer (5) in the bottom of the ninth for Rancho Cucamonga. Kyle Froemke followed with a single but the Quakes couldn’t advance the tying run any farther than second base.
Cesar Izturis Jr. had three hits including a double for Modesto and Hogan Windish had two hits and two RBIs.
Froemke led the Quakes with two hits.
Modesto (28-19) has won three of the five games in the series with the finale going on Sunday at 5 PM. The Nuts hold a one-game lead over Fresno in the North division.
Rancho Cucamonga (23-24) is four games out in the South division.
SCOREBOARD
INLAND EMPIRE – 1
SAN JOSE – 16
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