The Modesto Nuts stayed hot Friday night and got six runs in the first two innings to cruise to an 8-1 win over the Rawhide in Visalia. The visitors got three in the first and three in the second and went on to win their sixth game in a row including all four in this series.
CF Victor Labrada went 3-for-4 from the leadoff spot and RF Alberto Rodriguez was 1-for-5 with a homer and four RBIs. RHP Sam Carlson (W, 2-1) went five innings and allowed one run on three hits and five walks with eight strikeouts. He threw 105 pitches, 61 for strikes.
Rawhide starter Adrian Del Moral got knocked around over the first two innings as Modesto built a 6-0 lead, but he bounced back for a 1-2-3 third inning and struck out the first two hitters in the fourth before walking SS Noelvi Marte. RHP Enmanuel Acosta came on in relief of Del Moral and gave up a 2-run homer to Rodriguez to put the Nuts ahead 8-0.
Visalia’s only run came when RF Jefferson Espinal walked to lead off the sixth inning and came home on a sac fly by 1B Lyle Lin.
Modesto RHP Matthew Willdrodt went three shutout innings in relief of Carlson, allowing just one hit with no walks and four strikeouts.
Carlson had a lot of traffic with the five walks, three hits and two HBPs, but he was able to keep the Rawhide off the board with the exception of his last batter coming around to score after he left the game. Odd occurrence, Carlson’s first and last batters were both HBPs.
The Nuts are now 30-22 and picked up a game on first-place San Jose in the North division as they now trail by five games with second-place Fresno two games out. The Rawhide suffered its sixth straight loss and have a record of 13-39. They’re 12 1/2 games behind first-place Rancho Cucamonga in the South Division.
Game five of the six-game series starts at 6:30 tonight.
SCOREBOARD
RANCHO CUCAMONGA – 1
FRESNO – 2
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SAN JOSE – 3
STOCKTON – 4
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INLAND EMPIRE – 3
LAKE ELSINORE – 11
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Inland Empire had a four-run inning to build a lead, then pulled away with a six-run inning as they beat Visalia 11-2 on Saturday night at Valley Strong Ballpark. The 2-5 hitters did plenty of damage with nine RBIs, led by Edgar Quero who homered (5) and Werner Blakely who drove in three.
