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By Tim Wheeler

MODESTO -Exactly five months after the Bakersfield Blaze opened the 2009 Cal League regular season in Modesto, the team returned to John Thurman Field to begin the second season, otherwise known as the California League North Division mini-series playoffs.

Making its first post season appearance since the events of 9/11 canceled its division playoff series eight years ago, the Blaze dropped the opener of the best-of-three series to the Nuts 5-3. The series resumes 7:05 p.m. tonight at Sam Lynn Ball Park.

With game tied at 3, Modesto lead off the seventh inning with back-to-back doubles off Blaze reliever Ryan Falcon to take a 4-3 lead. The Nuts added an insurance run in the eighth.

The Blaze took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first as Mauro Gomez's two-out single to center scored Joey Butler, who reached on a fielder's choice.

In the bottom half of the inning, Nuts leadoff man Charlie Blackmon singled off of Blaze starter Kennil Gomez. Hector Gomez then crushed a two-run homer over the left field wall giving Modesto a 2-1 lead.

In the third, the Blaze capitalized on two Nuts errors and a triple by Jacob Kaase to retake the lead, 3-2. Modesto then tied the game in the fourth when Jason VanKooten drew a walk, was balked to second, and scored on Matt Repec's double.

The Blaze offense, limited to just two singles by Nuts starter Corey Riordan after the third inning, finally got the right-hander out of the game after consecutive two out singles by Gomez and Mike Bianucci in the eighth.

Joey Williamson took over and struck out Tommy Mendonca, stranding the potential tying and go-ahead runs on base.

Playoff notes

If the Blaze-Nuts series goes three games, the winner will be forced to play Game 1 of the North Division Championship Series without a normal night's rest as the winner faces an almost immediate minimum five-hour drive to San Jose. The Giants announced that Saturday's game has been moved up to 2 p.m. because San Jose State is hosting Utah in a NCAA football game.