INLAND EMPIRE, MODESTO TAKE GAME 1’S IN PLAYOFFS

Posted on September 13, 2023 by | Comments Off on INLAND EMPIRE, MODESTO TAKE GAME 1’S IN PLAYOFFS

The Inland Empire 66ers held serve in game one of the South division playoffs, shutting out the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes 3-0 to take a 1-0 lead in the three-game series. Jeremy Arocha was 1-for-2 with a walk and scored two runs for the 66ers and Joel Hurtado allowed just one hit and one walk over seven innings with four strikeouts. The series moves to Rancho Cucamonga for game two on Thursday night at 6:30 pm.

RANCHO CUCAMONGA – 0
INLAND EMPIRE – 3
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The Modesto Nuts came back in the late innings and took game one of the North division playoff series with a 6-5 win over the San Jose Giants in 10 innings. Trailing 5-3 in the bottom of the eighth inning, Jonny Farmelo tripled in a run to cut the deficit to one, and the comeback was on. Lazaro Montes homered in the bottom of the ninth to tie it up and Colt Emerson walked it off in the 10th with a bases-loaded single. Game two will be in San Jose on Thursday night at 7 pm.

SAN JOSE – 5
MODESTO – 6
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PLAYOFF MATCHUPS

Posted on September 11, 2023 by | Comments Off on PLAYOFF MATCHUPS

The 2023 California League regular season ended yesterday with the Modesto Nuts and Inland Empire 66ers finishing the second half as division winners. The playoff matchups are set with the divisional series starting on Tuesday:

RANCHO CUCAMONGA at INLAND EMPIRE Gm 1, 6:35 pm.

SAN JOSE at MODESTO Gm 1, 7:05 pm.

Wednesday will be an off day with Game 2’s going on Thursday at Rancho Cucamonga and San Jose. Pending the outcomes, Game 3’s will be played on Friday as necessary. The championship series starts on Sunday, September 17th.

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MODESTO CLINCHES NORTH DIVISION WITH 17-2 WIN OVER FRESNO

Posted on September 9, 2023 by | Comments Off on MODESTO CLINCHES NORTH DIVISION WITH 17-2 WIN OVER FRESNO

Modesto @ Fresno Gm 5

After losing for the first time in 17 games the night before, the Modesto Nuts got right to it with a seven-run first inning and rolled to a 17-2 win over the Grizzlies in Fresno on Saturday night. The victory clinched the North division second half title and a spot in the California League playoffs starting Tuesday night.

The seven-run inning wasn’t the biggest inning of the game for Modesto, either. They batted around for nine runs in the seventh inning, which started with an already-commanding 8-1 lead.

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FRESNO STAYS ALIVE WITH 3-2 WIN OVER MODESTO

Posted on September 9, 2023 by | Comments Off on FRESNO STAYS ALIVE WITH 3-2 WIN OVER MODESTO

Modesto @ Fresno Gm 4

The Fresno Grizzlies need a clean sweep over the weekend to qualify for the California League playoffs and step one of the three-part plan went well on Friday night. Aidan Longwell doubled in a run in the bottom of the eighth inning to break a 2-2 tie and the Grizzlies finished it off for a 3-2 win over Modesto. The Nuts saw their 16-game winning streak end and their North division lead cut to two games with two to play.

Facing elimination, the Grizzlies struck first on an RBI single by Jake Snider in the second inning. Snider drew a bases-loaded walk in the third to put Fresno up 2-0.

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NUTS SHUT OUT GRIZZLIES FOR 16TH STRAIGHT WIN

Posted on September 8, 2023 by | Comments Off on NUTS SHUT OUT GRIZZLIES FOR 16TH STRAIGHT WIN

Modesto @ Fresno Gm 3

The Modesto Nuts shut out the Fresno Grizzlies 8-0 on Thursday night and stretched their lead in the North division to two games with three to play. Logan Evans (W, 1-0) went five innings and gave up three hits and two walks with six strikeouts. Colt Emerson and RJ Schreck each had three hits.

The Grizzlies took the field on Thursday night in second place for the first time in the second half. With their 16th striaght win, the Nuts put them farther back. Fresno needs to win all three of the remaining games over the weekend to make the playoffs. Modesto can clinch with a win on Friday night or either of the games thereafter.

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MODESTO COMES BACK ON FRESNO TO TAKE 1-GAME LEAD IN NORTH

Posted on September 7, 2023 by | Comments Off on MODESTO COMES BACK ON FRESNO TO TAKE 1-GAME LEAD IN NORTH

Modesto @ Fresno Gm 2

The Modesto Nuts won their 15th straight game and took over first place in the North division with a 7-5 win over the Grizzlies in Fresno on Wednesday night. Lazaro Montes singled in two runs in the fifth inning as the Nuts took a 4-3 lead, overcoming an early 3-0 deficit.

Tatem Levins hit his ninth home run of the season in the sixth inning to make it 5-3 Modesto. Two more runs in the seventh put the game out of reach. EJ Andrews hit a two-run homer for the Grizzlies in the bottom of the seventh to cut Modesto’s lead to 7-5. Fresno got no closer and Juan Burgos (S, 7) finished it off  with a clean ninth inning for Modesto.

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MODESTO HOLDS OFF FRESNO FOR FIRST PLACE TIE

Posted on September 6, 2023 by | Comments Off on MODESTO HOLDS OFF FRESNO FOR FIRST PLACE TIE

Modesto @ Fresno Gm 1

The Modesto Nuts caught the Fresno Grizzlies in the North division with a 5-4 win in game one of their season-ending series in Fresno. The Nuts built a 5-0 lead, then held on as Fresno rallied to cut the lead to one in the ninth.

Both teams are 40-21 in the second half and need a division title to make the playoffs. San Jose won the first half.

Modesto got on the board in the top of the first with a run-scoring balk and a sacrifice fly. In the fifth inning, Brock Rodden doubled in two runs to make it 4-0 and eventually scored on a passed ball to make it 5-0.

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WILL SIMPSON, ALEC BAKER NAMED CAL LEAGUE PLAYER/PITCHER OF THE WEEK

Posted on September 5, 2023 by | Comments Off on WILL SIMPSON, ALEC BAKER NAMED CAL LEAGUE PLAYER/PITCHER OF THE WEEK

Stockton OF WILL SIMPSON went 13-for-26 with five doubles, one home run and eight RBIs  to earn California League Playeer of the Week honors. The 22-year old had four straight three-hit games against Rancho Cucamonga. On Tuesday, the 2023 15th-round draft pick went 3-for-4 with a home run.

Visalia RHP ALEC BAKER made three relief appearances against Fresno last week and was named Cal League Pitcher of the Week. The 2023 18th-round pick threw a total of 5 1/3 innings, allowing no runs, hits or walks while striking out eight. On Saturday, the 23-year old pitched three scoreless innings with no hits or walks and five strikeouts.

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MODESTO STREAK CONTINUES ON SUISBEL WALK-OFF GRAND SLAM

Posted on September 4, 2023 by | Comments Off on MODESTO STREAK CONTINUES ON SUISBEL WALK-OFF GRAND SLAM

Inland Empire @ Modesto Gm 6

The Inland Empire 66ers took the Modesto Nuts to extra innings and scored three runs in the 10th inning. Not only was it not enough to pin a loss on Modesto, but they lost by four runs.

The Nuts scored seven runs in the bottom of the 10th and walked off with their 13th win in a row, an 8-4 victory. Luis Suisbel broke a 4-4 tie with his sixth home run of the season to complete a six-game sweep and keep Modesto (39-21) one game behind Fresno (40-20) in the North division.

Modesto travels to Fresno for a season-ending six-game series starting on Tuesday.

Frueddy Batista put the Nuts up 1-0 with an RBI single in the second inning. Matt Courtney pulled Inland Empire even with an RBI double in the sixth. That was it until the 10th inning when the 66ers struck for three runs to make it 4-1.

Inland Empire only recorded one out in the bottom of the 10th and three runs came across before Lazaro Montes was intentionally walked to load the bases, setting up the double play.

Suisbel avoided an inning-ending dp that would have sent the game to the 11th by blasting his game-winner over the centerfield fence.

The stage is now set for a showdown in Fresno to determine one of two remaining Cal League playoff spots. The North division first-half winner, San Jose, is eliminated so it’s between Fresno and Modesto to clinch a spot by winning the second half.

The South division was won in the first half by Rancho Cucamonga, who is still alive at three games back with six to play, despite being under .500 at 27-33. Inland Empire holds down the top spot at 31-29, one game ahead of Lake Elsinore (30-30).

SUNDAY SCORES

FRESNO – 8
VISALIA – 6
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SAN JOSE – 4
LAKE ELSINORE – 5
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RANCHO CUCAMONGA – 7
STOCKTON – 8
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MODESTO CUTS NORTH LEAD TO 1 WITH SHUTOUT OF INLAND EMPIRE

Posted on September 3, 2023 by | Comments Off on MODESTO CUTS NORTH LEAD TO 1 WITH SHUTOUT OF INLAND EMPIRE

Inland Empire @ Modesto Gm 5

The Modesto Nuts are on the verge of sweeping two straight six-game series after shutting out Inland Empire 2-0 on Saturday at John Thurman Field. With their 12th straight win, the Nuts have trimmed Fresno’s once-daunting lead in the North division to one game with seven to play. The Grizzlies host Modesto on Tuesday for a season-ending six-game series.

Ryan Hawks shut out the 66ers over the first four innings with no hits or walks allowed while striking out six. Gabriel Sosa (W, 5-2) and two more relievers kept Inland Empire off the board, each allowing just one hit.

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