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Timothy Smiths' RBI single with two outs in the 11th inning lifted the Blaze to a 6-5 victory against the Stockton Ports on Thursday in front of 1,020 at Sam Lynn Ballpark.

The Ports (18-29) got on the scoreboard in the top of the first, scoring a single run before the Blaze answered back with two runs of their own in the bottom half of the frame, including a double from Ian Gac, and a pair of RBI doubles from Jonathan Greene and Elio Sarmiento to take the lead 2-1.

Again the Ports would go up by one in the fourth on a Todd Johnson solo home run to deep right.

Bakersfield (22-25) would once again take the lead in the bottom half of the fourth on a Jonathan Greene two-run homer, his fifth of the season, giving the Blaze the lead 4-2.

Blaze starter Michael Main who pitched a decent four innings would be blasted off the mound in the fifth. After walking the leadoff batter, Main would give up his second home run of the night on a two-run blast to right, followed by another solo home run to left. The back-to-back home runs gave the Ports a 5-4 and gave Main the hook. Main went four-plus innings, allowing five runs on five hits, including three home runs, while walking five and striking out six.

The game would remain scoreless until the bottom of the eighth when Ian Gac hit a sac-fly to center, scoring Timothy Smith, who reached base on a walk, knotting the game at five.

Both teams would remain scoreless heading into extra innings.

In the bottom of the eleventh the Blaze would break the stalemate, as Timothy Smith would push the game-winning run across the plate on an RBI single to center, ending the game 6-5.

Ports reliever Derrick Gordon (L, 1-2), who took over for starter Craig Italiano (5H, 2BB, 3 SO,
4 ER, 5 IP) in the sixth would be handed the loss.

Blaze reliever Tanner Roark (W, 1-0) would pitch one inning allowing no hits and striking out three, enough to earn him his first win of the season. Zach Phillips (1H, 1BB, 2 SO, 2 IP), Corey Young (3H, 2 SO, 2 IP), and Evan Reed (3H, 1 BB, 4 SO, 2 IP) all pitched a pair of scoreless innings.

Jonathan Greene was 2-for-5 with a home run and 3 RBIs, Ian Gac went 1-for-2 with a single, a double and two walks, and Elio Sarmiento singled twice and doubled in four at-bats.

The Blaze will play Stockton in game three of the four game series tonight at Sam Lynn Ballpark. First pitch scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

What’s Burning: Timothy Smith leads the team with a .385 AVG.

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The Stockton Ports (18-28) peppered the Blaze pitching for 15 hits scoring seven runs in the third inning to win game one of a four game series Wednesday in front of 384 at Sam Lynn Ballpark.

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The Texas Rangers have promoted Bakersfield Blaze 23-year-old first baseman Mitchell Moreland to the franchises Double A Frisco RoughRiders. RoughRiders first baseman Justin Smoak will not be moved as outfielder Ben Harrison has been released to make room for Moreland on the RoughRiders roster.

Moreland(.341/.421/.594) was leading the Cal League with 19 doubles, eight home runs and 26 RBIs in 43 games.

Good Luck we will miss you in Bakersfield.

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With solid pitching and a little help from five Sixers fielding errors, the Blaze (21-24) would win game four, 7-3 splitting the series at two games in a Memorial Day matinee at Sam Lynn Ballpark.

Blaze starter Kennil Gomez (W, 2-3) would have a solid day on the mound allowing a single run on a stingy four hits, with four walks, and fanning nine of the 26 batters he faced in seven innings on the hill.

The single run Gomez allowed came in the top of the second as the Sixers jumped on the board with a 1-0 lead on a Pedro Baez solo home run.

The Blaze would capitalize on the Sixers first of five errors by scoring one run in the bottom of the second to tie the game 1-1.

The third inning proved to be a gift for the Blaze, as they would benefit from three 66ers errors along with five hits including doubles from Podraza, Mitchell and Butler, and a two run homer from Jonathan Greene, breaking the inning wide open with a five-run rally to take a commanding 6-1 lead.

Sixers’ starter Steven Johnson (L, 3-3) lasted just three innings allowing six runs--only 1 earned, on five hits with two walks and a single strikeout.

Sixers’ reliever Miguel Sanfler would take the mound in the fourth pitching three innings, allowing three hits and one earned run in the sixth on an Engel Beltre RBI single scoring Cody Podraza who singled in a previous at-bat.

Blaze reliever Tanner Roark (2H, 1BB, 1SO, 2ER, 2 IP) who came into the contest in the top of the eighth would give up a two-run homer to Pedro Baez, his second of the game, in the top of the ninth, before retiring the fifth and sixth hitters of the inning, ending the Sixers modest comeback and the ballgame, 7-3.

Jonathan Greene was 1-for-4 with a 3 RBI home run, Cody Podraza went 2-for-2 with a double and a single, and Engel Beltre had an RBI single in four at-bats.

The Blaze will return to action to begin a four game series against the Stockton Ports on Wednesday at Sam Lynn Ballpark. First pitch scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

What’s Burning: Mitchell Moreland leads the club with nineteen doubles; Kennil Gomez is tied with teammate Michael Kirkman for most strikeouts among Blaze pitchers, and second in the Cal League with 54.

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The Inland Empire 66ers (20-24) would hold a comfortable lead for most of the ballgame holding off a late Blaze rally in the bottom of the ninth to win 8-5, taking a two to one lead in the four game series Sunday at Sam Lynn Ballpark.

Blaze starter Tim Murphy (L, 2-4) whose last appearance was thirteen days ago, gave up seven earned runs on eight hits and four walks in 4.2 innings. Including a pair of runs in the Sixers first at-bat and two more in the fourth giving them an early 4-0 lead.

Bakersfield (20-24) trailed most of the game scoring a single run in the first and another in the fourth from the red-hot bat of Mauro Gomez who hit a solo homer to left, his ninth of the season, to bring the Blaze within two.

In the fifth inning it would be all Sixers as Elian Herrera would tattoo a three-run blast to left, his second of the year, lengthening the Sixers lead to 7-2, as he put the final touches on another miserable start for Murphy.

The Blaze would call upon reliever Adalberto Flores (1H, 1BB, 1SO, 2.1 IP) in the fifth to stop the bleeding and save any chance for a Blaze comeback.

Bakersfield fought their way back to within four scoring a run in the bottom of the seventh as Matthew Lawson doubled scoring Elio Sarmiento who singled in an earlier at-bat, before the Sixers would push across another run in the eighth reclaiming their five-run lead off Newcomer Hector Nelo, Texas’ 15th round draft pick from 2007, who allowed a run in two innings in his 2009 debut for Bakersfield.

Trailing 8-3 in the bottom of the ninth, Engel Beltre would start a modest rally chipping a 2RBI base knock to left,once again narrowing the Sixers lead to three.

Sixers’ reliever Jake McCarter would take the mound with runners at second and third with two out, facing the red-hot bat of Mauro Gomez who homered earlier in the game. McCarter (S, 1) would induce a ground out to second ending the game, 8-5.

Inland Empire reliever Marlon Arias (W, 1-0) who came into the contest in the bottom of the fifth held the Blaze two just two hits and one earned run in three innings pitched, enough to earn his first win of the season.

Mitch Moreland drew three walks, Matthew Lawson had an RBI double, and Mauro Gomez went 2-for-5 with a single and his ninth homer of the season, and Engel Beltre had a two RBI single in five at-bats.

The Blaze will look to split the series with a win in game four against the 66ers on Monday at Sam Lynn Ballpark. First pitch scheduled for 1:30 p.m.

What’s Burning: Mauro Gomez leads the club with nine home runs; Bakersfield is third in the Cal League with 42 home runs.

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The Inland Empire 66ers (19-24) would push across two in the twelfth beating the Blaze (23-23), 6-4 and notching Blaze official scorer Tim Wheeler his 1,000 consecutive game Saturday at Sam Lynn Ballpark.

Bakersfield would trail most of the game as Sixers starter Alberto Bastardo would go six innings allowing only one earned run on four hits, walking one and fanning seven before the Sixers would dig deep into their bullpen putting a total of six pitchers on the hill.

The Sixers would go ahead by a single run in the second and then add one in the third off Blaze starter Blake Beavan, who struck out five while allowing one earned run in seven innings.

Bakersfield reliever Corey Young would take the mound in the top of the eighth and after striking out the lead off batter would give up a solo bomb to left by Sixers Preston Mattingly, giving Inland Empire a 3-0 advantage.

The Blaze would fight their way onto the scoreboard in the bottom of the eighth on a Renny Osuna ground-rule double driving in Matthew Lawson who single in a previous at-bat.

Bakersfield would trail 3-1 in the bottom of the ninth when Ian Gac followed a Joey Butler walk with his fourth homer of the season to tie the game at three apiece

The Sixers scored in the top of the 10th, but Mitch Moreland again knotted the score with his eighth homer of the year in the bottom of the frame.

The Sixers would eventually push across a pair of runs including the game winner in the top of the twelfth, as reliever Josh Lueke (L, 0-1) would walk the leadoff batter that would cross the plate on an RBI single by Sixers Christian Lara. Lara would later score on a wild pitch, giving the Sixers a 6-4 lead.

Sixers reliever Jacobo Meque (W, 1-1) who came into the contest in the bottom of the ninth held the Blaze two just two hits and one earned run in two innings pitched, enough to earn his first win of the season.

Mitchell Moreland went 2-for-4 with a solo home run, a double and a walk, Renny Osuna doubled and had three walks, and Ian Gac had a two RBI home run in five at-bats.

The Blaze will continue the serried against the 66ers tonight at Sam Lynn Ballpark, in game three of the four game series. First pitch scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

What’s Burning: Blaze official scorer Tim Wheeler reached a milestone of 1,000 consecutive games, and Engel Beltre’s hitting steak ended at 15 games.

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The Blaze (20-22) would spoil Dodger pitcher Hiroki Kuroda’s first trip to Bakersfield as the Inland Empire 66ers came up short in Friday’s match up 2-1 in front of 1,802 at Sam Lynn Ballpark.

Kuroda -- the Dodgers opening-day starter on the disabled list with a strained left side muscle, struck out three, with no walks, yielded one unearned run on one hit in 3 2/3 innings.

The Blaze took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning scoring one run on a leadoff double, by Mauro Gomez who was driven in by a misplayed Jonathan Greene fly ball to center.

The 66ers(18-24) rallied with two outs in the third to tie the ballgame at one.

Kuroda, who was working a strict pitch count, was replaced in the fourth inning by reliever Timothy Sexton.

The Blaze would again go ahead in the fifth on a Davis Stoneburner led off single to center followed by a single from Jose Felix. With runners on first ad second Stoneburner would score when Matthew Lawson reached on an error, 2-1.

Sexton (L, 1-4), who gave up the go ahead run in the bottom of the fifth, surrendered only four hits, one earned run, walking one and striking out two in 4 1/3 innings pitched.

A pitchers duel would ensue in the sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth innings.

Blaze starter Michael Main (W, 4-4) fanned and walked two in five innings, giving up only a single run on five hits. Relievers Ryan Falcon (3 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 3 SO) and Evan Reed (1 IP, 1 H, 2 SO) would close the door on the 66ers giving Bakersfield its 20th win of the season.

Engel Beltre went 1-for-4 and produced a single, Davis Stoneburner had a single in two at-bats, and Mauro Gomez was 1-for-4 with a double.

The Blaze will continue their eight-game home stand tonight at Sam Lynn Ballpark, in game two of the four game series against the 666ers. First pitch scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

What’s Burning: Blaze official scorer Tim Wheeler is due to reach a milestone of 1,000 consecutive games tonight, and Engel Beltre pushed his hit streak to 15 games.
 

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When he arrives at Sam Lynn Ballpark on Saturday in his bright yellow Mustang and walks toward his office -- the rectangular press box with the metal roof that bakes in the summer -- it will be the 1,000th consecutive game the official scorer has worked at the 68-year-old home of the Bakersfield Blaze.

"In the grand scheme of things it's nothing more than a statistical benchmark but, seeing as how I'm an official scorer and I love statistics, it kind of seems appropriate," Wheeler said.

Over the past 15 years, he has seen plenty. He scored games in the young careers of Josh Hamilton, John Danks, Evan Longoria and Tim Lincecum. He logged many of the hits during Chris Davis' 35-game hitting streak in 2007.

But the 51-year-old has never scored a no-hitter.

"There are two things I would like to be a part of as an official scorer," Wheeler said. "The first would be a Blaze Cal League championship and the second would be to score a no-hitter."

He has become a part of baseball in Bakersfield, as important to the stadium's history as the dugouts that seem a mile down the baselines and summer start times that are pushed back because the park is built backwards and the pollution-powered sunsets, while beautiful, are blinding for batters.

"I do consider the press box my office and my office overlooks the playing field, and I would think any person involved in baseball would love to have an office whose windows overlook a diamond, the green grass, the chalk lines, the pitcher's mound, the seats," Wheeler said.

It is easy to find Wheeler's section of the press box. It is a tidy spot with the controls for the scoreboard, a Chicago Cubs' beer can holder full of pens and pencils and various trinkets he has amassed over the years.

There is a 22-caliber bullet, a remnant from the 1996 season, when the team lost 101 games -- 22 straight to finish the campaign -- and a pitcher named Bullet Bob had to endure many of the losses. There is a miniature bottle of tequila with a worm in it, a memento from a former scoreboard operator -- he said he won't drink it until the team wins a league title -- and several baseballs, one of which will come flying at anyone who says anything that might jinx a no-hitter.

"You never want to jinx a no-hitter," Wheeler said. "The baseball gods just do not like people to mess with the pace of a game or a pitcher's no-hitter, because they will seek their revenge."

Wheeler is one of the characters who make Minor League baseball a unique experience in cities across the country. In Bakersfield, there are guys nicknamed Froggy and Cowboy Mark and another whose name is actually Tadpole.

"In Minor League Baseball, change is inevitable. The players move up and down constantly, the front office has frequent changes yearly and ownership groups change from time to time," said former Blaze general manager Chris Bitters, who occupies the same post with the Delmarva Shorebirds. "One of the most enjoyable facets is when you have a guy like Tim Wheeler who comes to the ballpark every day, now reaching 1,000 in a row, with a smile on his face, a pure love for the game and a desire to get every call correct.

"These types of staff members are part of the fabric of the game, and the memories they see made each night is something all of us can cherish."

There has been talk that Bakersfield will lose the Blaze in the near future because the ballpark is old and there are no plans for a new one.

"Every day I go to the ballpark there's a part of me that says sometime in the future there's a very good chance there will not be organized baseball in Bakersfield. And that leaves me with a bittersweet feeling," Wheeler said.

For Wheeler, baseball is his vice. He grew up spending his free time at the Little League fields in El Segundo, Calif. When he wasn't playing, he kept score, worked the scoreboard and umpired. In return, he was given a hot dog and a Coke.

His tenure as the Blaze's official scorer actually began in the bathroom.

Early in the 1995 season, Wheeler ran into the team's scorekeeper. He was upset, tired of people berating him for his scoring decisions. Wheeler offered to help out for a hot dog and a Coke.

At first, he just assisted in the press box. That's until the scorekeeper stormed out a few games after Wheeler started. At the time, he looked at the assistant general manager and asked what he should do.

He stepped in as official scorer and hasn't missed a game since.

"The nature of this game is migratory, so having a fixture like Tim at Sam Lynn was especially helpful for us as a newspaper," said Brandon Plotnick, former assistant sports editor at The Bakersfield Californian. "Players come and go. Managers change all the time. Even the ownership has changed hands a number of times. But the one thing we could always count on was Tim Wheeler. We could send green reporters or experienced ones out there and we always knew he'd be around to help guide them."

Before a game a few years ago, Wheeler, the public address announcer and the Stockton Ports' radio broadcaster were huddled in front of the thermostat, which hovered around 132 degrees. On days like that, it is hard to imagine going back the next day for another game. But Wheeler is always there.

There was one moment that almost cost him the streak. After the 2006 season, he had to have his right leg amputated below the knee, the result of a lingering injury caused by a 1992 shooting incident. It is a moment he still holds close to the vest.

But with the help of his wife, Dena, he was back by Opening Day and plans to be there as long as baseball is being played in Bakersfield.

If there ever comes a day when Wheeler doesn't have a game to go to, he might just pack up and move to a city with Minor League baseball nearby.

"The most unique, unplanned road trip ever," he said.

He has a lifetime pass to Minor League games and he wouldn't keep score. He would get a seat about seven rows up along the first base line, grab a hot dog and a beer and watch baseball, the one constant throughout his life.

Maybe then he will see a no-hitter.

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The Blaze (19-22) came up short in Thursday’s loss to the Stockton Ports and one game shy of sweeping the four game series, 3-2 at Banner Island Park in Stockton.

Stockton took an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning scoring one run on a leadoff double, three singles and a stolen base and then added two more in the third on a two-run homer by Yusuf Carter, his first of the season off Blaze starter Richard Bleier (L, 1-2) who allowed seven hits, three earned runs, fanning eight with no walks in seven innings pitched.

The Blaze would eventually get on the scoreboard posting two runs in the fifth on a Mauro Gomez 2 RBI single that drove in Matthew Lawson who singled in a previous at-bat, and Engel Beltre who reached by being hit by a pitch narrowing the deficit 3-2.

Ports starter Tyson Ross (0-2) gave up six hits, and two earned runs striking out three in 4.2 IP before giving way to reliever Derrick Gordon (W, 1-2) who took the mound in the fifth allowing one hit, one walk and two strikeouts to earn his first win of the year. Closer Leonardo Espinal would pitch a scoreless ninth to earn the save.

A pitchers duel would ensue in the sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth innings.

Blaze reliever Tanner Roark would get the call in the bottom of the eighth allowing only one hit and striking out two to keep Bakersfield in the hunt for the tying run.

Mitch Moreland went 2-for-4 and produced a walk, single, and double, Engel Beltre moved his OBP to over .300 for the first time this season with a single and HBP, and Mauro Gomez remains the Blazes’ hottest bat as he drove in Bakersfield’s only to runs of the game.

The Blaze will start an eight game home stand tonight against the Inland Empire 66ers at Sam Lynn Ballpark. First pitch scheduled for 7:05 p.m. It will be a Friday Family Fun Night. 4 tickets, 4 hot dogs, 4 sodas, 4 chips, program, and signed ball for only $36.

What’s Burning: Bakersfield is tentatively scheduled to face the Dodgers’ rehabbing Hiroki Kuroda on Friday as the Inland Empire 66ers make their season debut at Sam Lynn Ballpark.
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This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.

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The Blaze (19-21) keep their winning streak alive winning game two of a four game series, 5-4 against the Stockton Ports (14-26) in a Wednesday matinee at Banner Island Park in Stockton.

The Blaze took an early lead as Engel Beltre would drill a solo home run to right-center, his second of the season, giving the Blaze a 1-0 advantage.

Stockton took the lead in the bottom of the second inning scoring three runs on four singles and a stolen base taking what would be their only lead of the game, 3-1.

The Blaze responded in the third, tying the game at three on a Cody Podraza solo home run, his first home run of the season, and a sac ground out by Mitchell Moreland that drove in Matthew Lawson who singled in a previous at-bat.

Bakersfield would regain the lead 4-3 in the top of the fourth as catcher Elio Sarmiento doubled to score Joey Greene, before the Ports tied the game again in the bottom of the fifth, four apiece.

Stockton was retired in order in the sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth innings, and five of the last 12 batters struck out as Blaze relievers Zach Phillips (W, 1-1) would give up no hits and strikeout four in three perfect innings before Josh Lueke took the mound in the bottom of the ninth and delivered a 1-2-3 punch to preserve the one-run lead and earn his first save of the season.

The Blaze would go ahead in the top of the eighth as Joey Butler went yard with his fourth long ball of the season, to put the Blaze back on tip in the contest, 5-4.

Blaze starter Kennil Gomez struck out eight with no walks, but those eight hits resulted in four earned runs in five innings pitched while Ports starter Mathieu Leblanc (0-0) would get the hook after giving up six hits, and four earned runs including two home runs in 5.2 IP. Ports reliever Derrick Gordon (L, 1-1) would be tagged with the loss.

Engel Beltre went 2-for-3 hitting a single and his second long ball of the season, Joey Butler had one home run in four at-bats, Elio Sarmiento was 2-4 with a single and a double, and Cody Padraza hit his first home run of the season.

The Blaze will close out the series on Thursday against the Stockton Ports at beautiful Banner Island Ballpark. First pitch scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

What’s Burning: The Blaze are just two games under .500 and move to within 7 games back of first place Visalia in the Cal League North.
 

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Michael Kirkman pitched seven scoreless innings helping the Blaze (18-21) beat the Stockton Ports 9-5 on Tuesday in front of 1,741 at Banner Island Park in Stockton.

The Blaze offense has been on fire, scoring 27 runs in their last three games and it would be no different in Tuesdays match up, as Bakersfield would again take and an early lead in their first at-bat on Mauro Gomez’s two-run homer scoring Matthew Lawson who doubled earlier in the inning.

Gomez has been hot hitting three long balls in as many games.

Bakersfield would add to their 2-0 lead with another run in the third inning, on an RBI triple by Renny Osuna. In the fifth the Blaze would scored two more as Cody Podraza reached on a fielder's choice and was followed on base by Matthew Lawson, who was hit by a pitch. Podraza scored on a groundout by Engel Beltre, and Lawson scored on a single by Mitchell Moreland extending the lead 5-0.

Again the Blaze would add to their lead scoring a pair of runs, as Jonathan Greene would tattoo Ports starter Scott Hodson, with another two-run homer in the top of the sixth. Hodson (L, 1-4) would get his first loss of the season giving up 10 hits, and seven earned runs with five strikeouts in 6 IP.

Ports reliever Chad Kerfoot would fair no better taking the mound in the seventh giving up a leadoff double to Joey Butler. Kerfoot would put two on with no outs, hitting Jonathan Greene. Renny Osuna would single to bring home Butler and a single by Podraza would knock home Greene, giving the Blaze a commanding 9-0 lead.

Blaze starter Michael Kirkman (W, 4-1) who won his first start against the Ports on May 3, had another strong outing on the mound giving up a stingy three hits, walking two and striking out 11 of the 24 batters he faced over 7 IP.

Stockton would finally edge their way onto the scoreboard in the bottom of the eighth scoring one run against Blaze reliever Adalberto Flores.

Flores (6 H, 4 ER, 4 K) would give up four runs in the bottom of the ninth allowing the Ports to make a modest comeback 9-5, before retiring two to end the inning.

Jonathan Green went 2-for-5 hitting a double and his third long ball of the season, Joey Butler had three singles and a double in five at-bats, and Mauro Gomez hit a 2RBI homer, his eighth of the season, to lead the Blaze offensive attack.

Bakersfield will play game two of the four game series today against the Stockton Ports at beautiful Banner Island Ballpark in Stockton. First pitch scheduled for 11:05 a.m.

What’s Burning: Michael Kirkman leads the Cal League with a 2.06 ERA and Mauro Gomez leads the Blaze with eight home runs.

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The Blaze (17-21) combined for 10 runs on 18 hits splitting the four game series in this weekends Hwy 99 match up against the first place Visalia Rawhide (25-13) Monday at Recreation Park, in Visalia.

Bakersfield would jump out to an early 1-0 lead in their first at-bat on a Mauro Gomez’s RBI double scoring Matthew Lawson who singled earlier in the inning.

Visalia would answer back in the second, as Blaze starter Blake Beaven would walk the first two batters to start the inning and then allow three hits, as Visalia would go up 3-1.

The Blaze would knot the game at three in the top of the third as Engel Beltre would reach first on a throwing error, steal second and with a runner in scoring position and two out, Mauro Gomez would send one screaming over the left field for a two-run knock.

The next two frames would remain scoreless as Bakersfield would regain the lead in the top of the sixth on an RBI single from Jose Felix and another RBI on a sacrifice fly from Cody Podraza giving the Blaze the lead, 5-3.

The following two innings would be all Blaze, scoring four in the seventh on a pair of doubles from Joey Butler and Jonathan Greene and one more in the eighth with a lead off triple from Engel Betre who would later score on a Mauro Gomez RBI double, his third two-bagger of the contest, giving the Blaze a commanding 10-3 lead.

Visalia starter Trevor Hardon (L, 5-1) would be saddled with his first loss of the season giving up 13 hits, and five earned runs with four strikeouts in 6 1/3 IP. Rawhide relievers Norberto and Layne would also be tagged with 1 ER apiece.

Visalia would add two more to their scoring column in the bottom of the eighth making it 10-5 but it would not be enough.

Blaze starter Blake Beaven (W, 3-4) gave up 3 ER on 7 H, walking two and striking out three of the 26 batters he faced. Reliever Corey Young would pitch just one inning before exiting the mound as regular starter Tim Murphy would see action returning after a week on the DL, walking two and allowing two earned runs on three hits in just the final two innings.

The red-hot Blaze offense was led by Mauro Gomez who went 4-for-5 hitting his seventh long ball of the season and three doubles, along with Jonathan Greene who doubled twice and singled in five at-bats. Other notable offensive production would come from OF Engel Beltre as he recorded his eighth stolen base and his second triple of the season and Davis Stoneburner who went 2-for-5 with a single and a double.

The Blaze will continue their seven game road trip today in game one of a three game series against the Stockton Ports at beautiful Banner Island Ballpark in Stockton. First pitch scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

What’s Burning: Pitcher Ryan Tatusko has been place on the DL. Engel Beltre (.238/.283/.343) has pushed his hit streak to 11 games.

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Late arrival is lucky for 5 millionth fan
By Brian VanderBeek
bvanderbeek@modbee.com

Shel Thompson's Sunday afternoon strategy was shot when the phone rang.

The 60-year-old Modesto native had planned to go out to John Thurman Field for the Modesto Nuts' game, and hoped to get there in time to watch the team celebrate the 5 millionth fan in the 63-year history of California League baseball in Modesto.

"What I wanted to do was come about an hour early," Thompson said. "I thought there might be a good crowd today and a few hundred fans would line up ahead of time. But our daughter from New Orleans called and kept us on the phone forever. We didn't get here until the end of the second inning."

Modesto Bee - Shel Thompson, holds his 5 millionth Modesto Nuts fan ticket from the home against San Jose, Sunday May, 17, 2009. (DEBBIE NODA/dnoda@modbee.com)

He and his wife, Marie-Merced Thompson, got to the game in the middle of the second inning and were greeted at the gate by the Nuts' mascots and members of the front office.

"When we walked in, I told my wife that I wished we had been here to see the ceremony," Thompson said. "The person who sold me the ticket asked if we came to many games. I noticed the mascots and other people were there at the gate, and I asked when the 5 millionth fan came through. They said 'You're it.' "

Thompson, a lifelong baseball fan and 1966 Downey High graduate, could not have chosen a better day to get lucky at the turnstile. Not only did he collect a prize package valued in excess of $3,700, but he and his wife got to watch a terrific game in the comfort of one of the team's air-conditioned suites while temperatures outside soared into triple digits.

Becoming Fan No. 5 Million is only the latest in a long history of Modesto baseball memories for the Thompson family.

He told the story of how his grandmother, born in 1893 in Newman, once attended a game between the Newman and Modesto city teams as a teenager.

"She snuck out to watch a Newman Lambs game against Modesto in Newman and got severely grounded for sneaking out on a Sunday afternoon," Thompson said.

Thompson's father, he said, sold sodas and near beer at baseball games in Modesto in 1933. According to Robert Santos' book "Sunday Afternoon at the Ballpark," Modesto fielded three semi-pro teams that season -- one in the Don Pedro League and two in the Central California League.

Thompson also recalled buying a kids' season pass for $2.50 in 1962 to watch a Modesto Colts team that featured Joe Morgan, Sonny Jackson and John Bateman.

He passed along the minor league spirit in 1996 by taking a group from the Pioneer Little League to the pre-renovation Thurman Field for a game, getting lucky when he caught a foul ball off the bat of Miguel Tejada. He said he had the ball autographed and still owns it.

He remains very much a baseball fan, he said, and wanted to see a game in this weekend series against San Jose to catch a glimpse of some of San Francisco's young prospects.

"I wanted to see the Giants' prospects, even though they've already sent a few of them up to Connecticut," Thompson said. "I wanted to see Angel Villalona and then I read that the 5 millionth fan would be arriving today. I thought it would be neat to see that ceremony."

Approaching the ticket booth, Thompson knew he was too late to see the ceremony.

As it turned out, he was just in time to be a part of it.

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The Blaze (16-21) won game three of four in this weekends Hwy 99 series 8-2, against the first place Visalia Rawhide (25-12) Sunday at Recreation Park, in Visalia.

Bakersfield would lose the first of the four game series, 7-4 on Friday as Blaze starter Kennil Gomez (L, 1-3) set a Cal League record by hitting six batters including three in the third inning, fanning five and allowing six earned runs in five innings pitched.

Visalia’s Jorge Perez (W, 1-0) would notch his first win after relieving Rawhide starter Patrick McAnaney, who would get the hook in the third giving up 3 ER on 6H.

Ian Gac would hit his third home run of the season and his second in the same number of days as Matthew Lawson added his fifth homer of the season, but neither would earn the win for Bakersfield.

The second game of the series on Saturday would find the Blaze on the wrong side of the scoreboard once again as Visalia would seek revenge for last weeks loss to starter Richard
Bleier (L, 1-1) as he made his High-A debut by wrecking him for eight runs on ten hits in five innings, wining the game with a final of 9-3.

Blaze reliever Ryan Falcon would come into the contest in the sixth and toss two scoreless frames but it was a little to late to give Bakersfield a chance to rally back as Rawhide reliever Chase Christian would slam the door allowing just two hits in the final 3 1/3 innings.

Notable offensive production would come from OF Engel Beltre as he recorded two singles and is currently riding a nine-game hitting streak. Mitch Moreland slapped three singles extending his hitting streak to ten.

The Blaze would start game three of the series on Sunday by scoring first with three runs in the top of the second inning on an RBI single from Elio Sarmiento who later come around to steal home, and a sac fly from Matthew Lawson giving the Blaze a 3-0 lead.

Blaze starter Michael Main (W, 3-4) walked four and gave up six hits in six innings, fanning four but only allowed two to cross the plate. Bakersfield reliever Josh Lueke would come into the game in the seventh pitching two scoreless innings and striking out four, while the Blaze would add a pair of runs in the seventh and ninth making it a final of 8-2.

The Blaze offensive would combine for 14 hits as Mauro Gomez hit his sixth home run of the season adding a single and a walk and 3B Jonathan Greene went 2-for-4 with a double, a single and 2 RBIs.

Rawhide starter Bryan Shaw (L, 1-3) would be pinned with the loss.

The Blaze and Rawhide will face off today, as the Blaze will look to split the series at two apiece at Recreation Park. First pitch scheduled for 3:05 p.m.

What’s Burning: Joey Butler’s hitting streak ended at nine. The Blaze are currently in fourth place in the Cal North Division falling 9 games back.

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What follows is Bakersfield righthander Ryan Tatukso’s eighth entry in the “Back Field Diaries” project he’s writing for the Newberg Report. Following in the footsteps of fellow Rangers pitchers Spike Lundberg, John Hudgins, C.J. Wilson, Jason Andrew, and Michael Schlact, the 24-year-old Tatusko is keeping this journal throughout the season, giving us a glimpse of life on the farm.

Ryan Tatusko’s back field Diaries

One of the hardest things to do in professional baseball is to keep a level head. Kids hear it when they are in Little League and it continues to ring true all the way to the big league ranks, and yet it remains one of the hardest things to do in any sport, let alone in baseball. Baseball is fundamentally built upon failure, and those who truly become greats in this game are the players who have a short-term memory and are able to forget about the failures they had, and yet learn something from them at the same time.

There is a very fine line between dwelling on a bad outing or a bad streak, and thinking about them to learn something from what is going wrong. There is always something to be learned from mistakes and failures, and although they aren’t visible right away, you can turn a failure into a positive if you see what went wrong and work hard to change it in order for it not to happen again. Albert Einstein once said “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results.” Although he wasn’t referring to baseball at the time, there is still something to be said about that quote. If you are unwilling to make an adjustment at the plate or on the mound and yet you hope to overturn a slump, then you are just spinning your wheels.

One of the hardest things to do in baseball is not to outthink yourself. You have to trust your skills and know that there is a reason that you are playing baseball at the level you are at, yet this seems to be the Achilles heel of most baseball players at every level. When slumps occur, players seem to dig into the depths of themselves and try to find anything that will break them out of their “curse,” but yet what most players fail to realize is that it is those times that separate the good ballplayers from the truly great ones. How often are you able to make an adjustment? How hard are you willing to work to get yourself out of a slump? Are you willing to try something new? Sometimes what hinders people in their career is stubbornness and unwillingness to change a flaw they may have because they think it is minimal and that it can’t possibly be the thing that is holding them back.

“Baseball is ninety percent mental and the other half is physical” ― Yogi Berra. Although this quote may seem like gibberish, if you really dissect it, it rings true in a lot of ways. Baseball cannot be 50% mental and 50% physical in my opinion; there is too much studying of the opposition that goes on in the game. Although at a young age you do so many drills in your backyard and baseball academies, and put in countless hours of practice, that just affords you to be able to make pitch-by-pitch adjustments on the mound or in the batter’s box. Essentially, you are training your mind to recognize flaws when game time comes so that your body feels uncomfortable when something wrong happens and you are able to direct yourself on the right path.

With a 140+ game season, it isn’t that players are drained physically; it’s the mental aspect of the game that becomes so hard. Day in and day out you have to stay in tune with yourself in order to know what can be asked of you that day. When slumps start to occur, the mind is the first thing to wander. You start to think about what you are doing mechanically that can be wrong and why you aren’t picking it up, because obviously something is wrong. When one bad outing or at-bat turns into two, three, four, and so on, then things get really tough for the player and you start to think about cuts, phantom DL’s, or being benched for a series at a time, and negative thoughts could start streaking into your head. Staying positive when the chips are down, I believe, is one of the hardest things to do. Everyone can be an all-star when things are going right; the true test of a baseball player and his character is how well he performs when something might not be right or he might be searching for an answer.

I believe these are the things that you learn while playing in minor league baseball. I am glad that there is a minor league system, because it took the most horrific outing in my professional career to start to learn these concepts, and although I am mad at myself for letting it take this long, I am still continuing to learn. All of the coordinators, coaches, and rovers tell us that you go out and control what you can control, and let the other stuff take care of itself. In other words, when you toe the rubber or step in the batters box you are in control of yourself and how you perform. After that, if you look back and know you gave it your all and still gave up five earned or went 0-4 with four k’s you have to make yourself believe you didn’t short yourself even though the results weren’t there. You can get into a vicious cycle of self-pity and “why me’s.” It’s how you overcome those things and play when circumstances and situations are against you that, to me, is the true test of becoming a big leaguer.

If you have any questions, comments, or concerns please contact Ryan.Tatusko@gmail.com. Thanks again for reading!

– Ryan

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The Blaze (15-19) split a double-header with the Modesto Nuts winning game one 5-4 in 11 innings and losing the second 3-2, in front of a home crowd of 335 Thursday at Sam Lynn Ballpark.

The Nuts (20-14) took a 3-1 lead into the start of Thursday's action, as game one began in the bottom of the first inning where it ended on April 29 due to a power outage at Sam Lynn Ballpark.

Bakersfield would score three runs in the bottom of the third with a leadoff single from Matthew Lawson who would later score along with Joey Butler who walked earlier on a Mauro Gomez 2 RBI double to left knotting the game 3-3. Both teams would again score a run apiece in the fifth keeping the game tied 4-4. From that point the game would become a pitching duel.

After 5 ½ scoreless innings Cody Podraza scored the winning run for the Blaze after tagging and scoring from third in the bottom of the eleventh on a sacrifice fly from Matthew Lawson, ending the game with a final score of 5-4.

Blaze starter Michael Kirkman would pitch seven solid innings facing 28 batters, giving up 7H and
no earned runs while striking out eight and walking one. Nuts starter Cory Riordan would not fare so well as he gave up 9H and 3 ER in just 5 IP. Blaze reliever Ryan Falcon (W, 1-0) came into the game in the top of eleventh shutting the door and earning his first win of the year. Nuts reliever Craig Baker (L, 0-1) would be pinned with the loss.

Modesto would jump out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first in game two of Thursday’s double-header, as Bakersfield starter Zachary Phillips (L, 0-1) had a miserable first inning giving up two hits, and two earned runs with two walks and a wild pitch.

Phillips (5 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 4 SO, 5 IP) would also give up a game wining RBI double in the top of the fourth to Nuts’ Michael Mitchell extending the deficit 3-0.

Nuts starter Greg Smith (W, 1-0) would take a 3-0 lead and go five innings, retiring the first 13 batters he faced before giving up a solo homerun to Blaze 1B Ian Gac in the bottom of the fifth allowing the Blaze to get back into the game, 3-1.

The Blaze would score one more in the sixth as Engel Beltre – who hit a one out triple to center in just the previous at-bat would cross the plate on a groundout by Mauro Gomez trimming the lead 3-2.

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The Blaze (14-18) opened in the first with three runs and held on in the top of the ninth to take game two of a three game series 6-5 against the Modesto Nuts, in front of a home crowd of 349 Wednesday at Sam Lynn Ballpark.

Blake Beaven (W, 2-4) posted his second win in as many starts, facing 27 batters, giving up 7H, 3 ER, striking out three and walking one in 7 IP.

Bakersfield would score three runs in their first at-bat starting with a leadoff ground rule double by Renny Osuna who would later score on a Mitch Moreland RBI double to left. Before the inning was over Mauro Gomez would widen the gap 3-0 with a two-run homer to deep left.

The Blaze would score one in the second on an Elio Sarmiento RBI single scoring Davis Stoneburner who doubled in the previous at-bat and two more in the bottom of the third on a Joey Butler two-run homer, his third long-ball of the season.

Nuts starter Bruce Billings (L, 2-3) would get the hook in the fourth after giving up eight hits and six earned runs, including both Blaze home runs.

Modesto (19-13) would finally answer back getting on the board in the fifth with a two-run homer by Jay Cox, his second long ball in as many games, trimming the lead 6-2.

With the Blaze leading to start the seventh, Modesto would mount a comeback adding two runs in the inning and another run in the top of the eighth, narrowing Bakersfield’s lead, 6-5.

Blaze Reliever Corey Young would be called upon in the eighth pitching two scoreless frames allowing only one hit and stranding the tying run on first to earn his first save of the season.

Joey Butler went 2-for-3 with a two RBI home run, Mitchell Moreland had an RBI double, Mauro Gomez was 2-for-4 with a two run homer, Elio Sarmiento was 2-for-4 with and RBI single, and Renny Osuna was 3-for-5 with a ground rule double.

The Blaze will continue the series against the Nuts on May 14 at 10:30 a.m. It will be a double-header with the first of two being a completion of a game that was suspended on April 29 due to a power outage at Sam Lynn Ballpark

What’s Burning: Joey Butler pushed his hitting streak to eight. The Blaze have won their last five of six and are currently in fourth place in the Cal North Division 8.5 games back.

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The Blaze (13-18) held on to edge the Modesto Nuts 7-6, in game one of a three game series Tuesday in front of a home crowd of 416 at Sam Lynn Ballpark.

Michael Main (W, 2-4) posted his second win of the season pitching 5 innings, facing 25 batters, giving up 5H, including a two-run homer in the second, fanning four and allowing four runs to cross the plate.

Modesto (19-12) opened the scoring in the top of the second with a two-run homer by Jay Cox to deep right to take the lead 2-0.

Nuts starter Kenneth Durst (L, 1-2) would gave up eight hits and five earned runs, walking one and one wild pitch in the next 4-1/3 innings before getting the hook.

With Bakersfield leading 5-4 to start the fifth, Main would give up the tying run on a sacrifice fly to center scoring Radames Nazario who was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning.

Bakersfield would answer back in the fifth, as Joey Butler would reach base safely on a lead off single, later coming home for the go ahead run on a Davis Stonburner RBI double. The Blaze would score once more as Elio Sarmiento tapped an RBI single to give the Blaze a 7-5 advantage.

Reliever Tanner Roark would come into the game in the top of the sixth immediately allowing one run after facing just five batter with two hits, one wild pitch and hitting Radames Nazario -- who was hit by Main in the fifth to cross home for the second time in the contest, trimming the lead 7-6.

Once again Bakersfield would turn to the red-hot Blaze bullpen calling on relievers Corey Young (1 IP, 1 H, 1 SO) and Evan Reed (1 IP, 1 BB, 2 SV) to shut down the Nuts in the final innings.

Joey Butler went 2-for-4 with two singles and an RBI, Davis Stoneburner had two doubles and 2 RBIs, one walk in three at-bats, Mauro Gomez had a double and Elio Sarmiento was 2-for-4 with a pair of singles and an RBI.

Former Stockdale High and BC pitcher and now Nuts reliever Carlos Luna, pitched a single inning in the bottom of the eighth.

The Blaze will continue the series against the Nuts on May 13 at 7:15 p.m. It will a Must Win Wednesday. If the Blaze don't win, everyone gets a free General Admission ticket to a future game.

What’s Burning: Joey Butler pushed his hitting streak to seven. Thursday the Blaze is scheduled to play a double-header beginning at 10:30 a.m. The first of two will be a completion of a game that was suspended on April 29 due to a power outage at Sam Lynn Ballpark.

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The Blaze (12-18) scored five runs in the fifth on their way to winning game three of the Hwy 99 Series in a warm Sunday matinee at Sam Lynn Ballpark.

The Rawhide (22-9) and Blaze would find themselves locked in a scoreless tie as both starting pitchers combined through 4 ½ allowing only four hits.

Rawhide starter Joshua Collmenter who gave up one hit in the first four frames would allow 5 ER on 6H, in the fifth inning as the Blaze would break the deadlock starting with a lead off double from Joey Butler, his fourth of the season, along with singles from Greene, Osuna, Beltre and Moreland and finally an RBI double from Mauro Gomez.

The Rawhide would finally get on the board in the top of the eighth to trim Bakersfield’s lead 5-2 on a two-run homer by Collin Cowgill off Blaze starter Richard Bleier.

Bleier would make his California League debut pitching 7 1/2 strong innings, facing 23 batters, and only giving up 7H with 6 Ks and 2 ER. Blaze reliever Evan Reed would come into the game in the top of the ninth with two outs and runners at the corners to strikeout Collin Cowgill who homered earlier in the contest, earning his first save of the season.

Mitchell Moreland went 2-for-4 with two singles and an RBI, Joey Butler had a single and double in two at-bats, Mauro Gomez had an RBI double and Engel Beltre singled and stole his 6th base of the season.

The Blaze will have today off and then continue their ten-game-home-stand on May 12 against the Modesto Nuts. First pitch is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. It will be Taco Tuesday with $1.50 Tacos and $1.50 Tecate beers ($1.50 beer available through the 5th inning)

What’s Burning: Mitchell Moreland leads the California League in doubles with 14 and Joey Butler pushed his hitting streak to six.

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By Matthew Martz

The Rawhide (22-8) scored three runs in the seventh edging out the Blaze (11-18) to even the Hwy 99 Series at one game apiece on Saturday in front of a home crowd of 2,035 at Sam Lynn Ballpark.

The Rawhide would jump out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first before the Blaze would answer back in the bottom of the frame on a solo blast to center from Mitchell Moreland, his seventh of the year, trimming the lead 2-1.

The Blaze would tie the game in the fifth on a Renny Osuna sac fly to right scoring Davis Stoneburner who was he was hit by pitch earlier in the inning.

The Rawhide would finally break the deadlock with three-runs in the top of the seventh including a solo home run by Kyle Greene off Blaze starter Kennil Gomez (1-2) who gave up a couple of runs in the first and then cruised through the next five innings fanning seven, walking three, and giving up for four earned runs on as many hits including the game winner.

Blaze reliever Zach Phillips (2 H, 1 BB, 4 SO) pitched two scoreless innings but allowed two inherited runners to cross the plate. Evan Reed would come into the game in the top of the ninth (1 IP, 2 BB, 2 SO).

Rawhide starter Patrick McAnaney (4-0) pitched 6 innings allowing 6H, and 2 ER while walking one and striking out five. Closer Chase Christian (1 IP, 2 SO) picked up his second save of the season.

Mitchell Moreland went 1-for-4 including a solo homer and an RBI, Timothy Smith singled twice in four at-bats, Joey Butler was 1-for-3 with a double, and Jose Felix was 2-for-3 with a pair of singles.

The Blaze will continue their ten-game-home-stand on May 10 in the finale of a three game Hwy. 99 series against the Rawhide. First pitch is scheduled for 1:30 p.m.

What’s Burning: Mitchell Moreland leads the California League in doubles with 14 and Timothy Smith leads the league with a .410 AVG.

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The Blaze (11-17) scored four runs on seven hits in their first at-bat on the way to a 9-2 win over the Visalia Rawhide (21-8) in game one of a three game freeway series Friday in front of a home crowd of 827 at Sam Lynn Ballpark.

The Blaze offense combined for 18 hits while strong pitching would hold the first place Rawhide to just two-runs on six hits.

Blaze starter Michael Kirkmann (3-1) had a strong outing on the mound notching his third win while allowing only 2 ER on 6 Hits, walking three and striking out four in 6IP.

The Blaze would open the scoring as the first six batters to face Visalia starter Christian Beltre would combine for six hits and four runs including singles from Osuna, Beltre, Gomez, Smith, Butler, and Stoneburner, and an RBI ground rule double to right by Mitchell Moreland, his second in as many games.

Rawhide starter Christian Beltre (0-1) would get the hook after allowing 10H, and 6 ER in just two innings pitched.

The Blaze would increase their lead with pair of runs in the second and fourth innings, and one in the bottom of the fifth off Rawhide reliever Bryan Henry who would do no better than Beltre in shutting down a blistering Blaze offense that combined for 8 hits and 3 earned runs in the remaining three frames extending their lead to a commanding 9-0.

The Rawhide would finally break through with two-runs in the top of the sixth, making it 9-2.

Blaze relievers Adalberto Flores (2 IP, 3 SO) and Brennan Garr (1 IP, 1 SO) would hold Visalia to no hits and no runs for the remainder of the contest.

Mitchell Moreland went 4-for-4 including three doubles and an RBI, Mauro Gomez also had four hits in four at-bats including a double, and Beltre, Butler and Stoneburner supplied two hits each.

The Blaze will continue their ten-game-home-stand in as many days on May 9 in the second of a three game freeway series against the Rawhide. First pitch is scheduled for 7:15 p.m.

What’s Burning: The Blaze bullpen has pitched 109 relief innings with a 2.48 ERA, 38 walks and 124 strikeouts.

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Blake Beaven pitched a complete game and with a little help from some hot Blaze bats helped lift the Blaze (10-17) over the San Jose Giants (17-11) preventing the series sweep and snapping a six game losing streak in front of a home crowd of 1,033 Thursday at Sam Lynn Ballpark.

The Blaze offense combined for 14 hits while a strong pitching performance from Beaven held a potent San Jose lineup -- averaging 5.7 runs per game to a total of four hits.

Beaven (1-4) went the distance throwing 107 pitches for his first complete game as a professional and notching his first win of the season. Beaven faced 35 batters, giving up only four hits, no earned runs, while walking one and fanning five.

The Blaze would open the scoring on a three-run homer to left from Mauro Gomez, his fourth of the season to take an early 3-0. The offense attack would continue as Davis Stoneburner blasted one for the highlight reel with a grand slam in the bottom of the third, putting Bakersfield up 5-0.

The fourth and fifth innings went to San Jose, as they would score one in the fourth and two in the fifth on a pair of errors and a passed ball trimming the lead 5-3.

Four runs would cross the plate in the sixth inning on 4 hits including a 2 RBI single from Bakersfield’s Jonathan Greene to widen the gap 11-3.

Giants’ starter Craig Clark (1-2) would give up 7H, and 7 ER in 3 IP including 2 HR. Relievers Craig Whitaker (2.2 IP, 2H, 3 ER, 2 BB) and Adam Cowart (2.1 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 1 BB) would be called upon in an effort to try and douse the Blaze offense.

Mitchell Moreland would hit a ground rule double down the right field line in the bottom of the eighth and would later come around to score on a Joey Butler RBI single to center giving the Blaze a commanding 12-3 lead.

Mitchell Moreland went 3-for-4 including a double, Maura Gomez had a home run and 3 RBIs, Davis Stoneburner went 1-for-4 with a grand slam, and Jonathan Greene had 2 RBIs.

The Blaze continue their ten game home stand in as many days on May 8 against the first place Visalia Oaks. First pitch is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. It will be a Family Fun Pack Friday --
4 tickets, 4 hot dogs, 4 sodas, 4 chips, program, and signed ball for only $36.

What’s Burning: OF Tim Smith had to leave in the fifth inning when a warm-up throw caromed off a sprinkler head hitting him in the eye. Details to come.

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Angel Villalona went a perfect 4-for-4 helping the San Jose Giants (17-9) win game two of a three game series, 10-4 against the Bakersfield Blaze (9-17) Wednesday in front of a home crowd of 404 at Sam Lynn Ballpark, in Bakersfield.

Villalona hit his fourth home run of the season with two doubles, four runs, three RBI’s and reached base safely in all five of his plate appearances. San Jose scored at least one run in six out of the nine innings.

Blaze starter Michael Main (1-4) yielded five runs on nine hits over five innings giving San Jose an early 4-0 lead. Main continues to struggle this year with an 8.39 ERA through six starts.

Bakersfield manager Steve Buechele was ejected by home plate umpire Bronson Martinez in the top of the fourth for arguing a call involving Giants Brandon Crawford who would advance to home putting the Giants up 5-0 on stealing error by Blaze catcher Jose Felix.

The Blaze would get their first run in the bottom of the fourth on a passed ball scoring Mauro Gomez who doubled earlier in the inning trimming the lead 5-1.

The Blaze would call to the pen in the sixth using three pitchers in four innings in an effort to stop the Giants offensive attack. Relievers Tatusko, Young and Reed combined for 7H and 5 ER allowing San Jose to extend their lead 10-1 in the top of the eighth.

Giants’ starter Clayton Tanner (2-0) would give up 4H, and 1 ER in 5 IP. Relievers T.J. Brewer (2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO) and Mitch Lively (2 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 6 SO) would pitch from the bullpen in an effort to hold the Blaze to one run until the bottom of the eighth.

The Blaze would score one run in the eighth and two more in the bottom of the ninth on a Renny Osuna two-run double, but would fall short losing by a final of 10-4.

Tim Smith went 3-for-4, Mitchell Moreland had a solo home run and a walk, Renny Osuna went 2-for-3 with a single and 2RBI double, and Engel Beltre was 1-5 in his return to the lineup.

The Blaze continue their ten game home stand in as many days on May 7 as the look to avoid the sweep in the final game of the series against San Jose. First pitch is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. It will be a Thirsty Thursday $1 12 oz. draft domestics and 20 oz. fountain sodas from gates open until the end of the 5th inning.

What’s Burning: Mitch Moreland’s solo homer was his sixth of the season, the most among Texas’s minor leaguers.

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By Matthew Martz

The San Jose Giants (16-10) scored six runs in the first two innings, enough to win game one of a three game series against the Bakersfield Blaze (9-16) Tuesday in front of a home crowd of 473 at Sam Lynn Ballpark, in Bakersfield.

Blaze starter Tim Murphy (2-3) suffered his third less-than-stellar outing this season giving up 6 H, 6 ER, and 3 walks in just 2 IP. Blaze relievers Ryan Falcon (4 IP, 3H, 5 SO) and Tanner Roark (3 IP, 1H, 2 SO) were impressive combining for seven shutout innings.

After scoring three runs in the first inning the Blaze offense would fizzle-out leaving runners in scoring position 11 times and stranding a total of 13.

The Blaze would add a run in the bottom of the fourth and once again in the bottom of the ninth, again leaving the tying run at first to end the game.

Giants’ starter Scott Barnes (2-1) would give up 7H, and 4 ER in 3.2 IP. Reliever Adam Cowart (2-2) would come into the game late in the third pitching 1.1 innings earning the win. San Jose would turn to their bullpen bringing in Mixon, Rodriquez and Turpen (2 SV) all who would pitch 1.1 innings each.

Mauro Gomez (.302/.378/.508) and Ian Gac (.239/.300/.352) both supplied the Blaze offense with a walk, single, and double. Engel Beltre (.2127/.258/.304) entered the game as a pinch runner, seeing his first action since being pulled during last Saturday’s game against the Stockton Ports.

The Blaze continue their ten game home stand in as many days on May 8 against the same San Jose Giants. First pitch is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. It will be a Must Win Wednesday .If the Blaze don't win, everyone in attendance gets a free General Admission ticket to a future game

What’s Burning: 1B Mauro Gomez is on a five-game hitting streak and has three RBIs this month. He started the streak with two hits and two runs scored April 30.

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The Bakersfield Blaze (9-15) took the final game of a four game series against the Stockton Ports (6-19) winning 6-4 and two straight Monday at Banner Island Park, in Stockton.

The Blaze and Ports would combine for 19 hits and again dig deep into the bullpen with each team putting four pitchers on the mound.

The Blaze scored in their first at bat on a wild pitch by Poirier that would score Renny Osuna who reached earlier on a single.

The Ports would answer back with one run in the bottom of the first to even the score 1-1.

The teams would be locked in a scoreless battle until the bottom of the sixth when the Ports would go up 2-1 on a two hits, a wild pitch by Gomez and a passed ball.

The Blaze would regain the lead 3-2 scoring runs in the seventh and eighth, on singles from Gac and Moreland, including a sacrifice RBI from Mauro Gomez. Bakersfield would pad their lead adding three more in the top of the ninth on a single from Jonathan Greene who during the next at-bat would steal second causing Ports Manager Aaron Nieckula to have words with 1B Umpire Tim Eastman who ejected Nieckula from the game. Mitchell Moreland sealed the deal on a two-run homer to right, increasing the Blaze lead 6-2.

Blaze starter Kennil Gomez (1-1) gave up 7 H, 2 ER, 1 walk, and fanning six. Reliever Adalberto Flores (2-1) went 2 IP, 2 BB, 4 SO. Evan Reed yielded three hits and two earned runs in ½ inning before closer Zachary Phillips would come into the game in the ninth striking out Ports catcher Raul Padron with two outs, a runner on second and the tying run at the plate. Phillips posted his second save the season.

Ports starter Canadian born Mathieu Leblanc Poirier (0-0) would give up 3H, and no earned runs in 4 IP.

Mitchell Moreland went 3-for-5 with a double, a home run and an RBI, Ian Gac was 2-for-3 with two singles, Mauro Gomez was 1-for-4 with an RBI, and Jonathan Greene had a double and a stolen base in 5 at-bats.

The Blaze returns home to begin a nine game home stand on May 5 against the San Jose Giants. First pitch is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. It will be Taco Tuesday with $1.50 tacos and Tecate beers.

What’s Burning: Blaze 1B Mitchell Moreland leads the club with five home runs…LHP Zachary Phillips has given up only 2 ER in 14 IP this season.

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The Bakersfield Blaze (8-15) edged the Stockton Ports (6-18) 5-3 to take a two to one lead in the four game series in a Sunday matinee in front of a home crowd of 3,161 at Banner Island Park, in Stockton.

Once again the Blaze would jump out to an early lead as Joey Butler would lead off the second with a single, move into scoring position when Jonathan Greene reached on an error, and would later came around to score on fielders choice. Timothy Smith would hit a solo homer to right in the third and the Blaze would lead 2-0.

The Ports would answer back with one run in the bottom of the fourth to trim the lead 2-1.

The Blaze would go on a hitting spree in the top of the fifth scoring three runs on singles from Osuna and Greene, an RBI double from Ian Gac and a Joey Butler RBI single, his second hit of the contest.

The Ports would again cut the lead in the bottom of the fifth, 5-3 but a strong performance by the Blaze bullpen that allowed their fair share of base runners but were ultimately effective in slamming the door for the win.

Blaze starter Michael Kirkman (2-1) had a decent outing going five innings, giving up 6 H, 3 ER, 4 walks, and fanning six. Reliever Brennan Garr went 2 IP, 3 H, 1 BB, 4 SO. Lefty Corey Young yielded a single hit in two scoreless frames and notched his second save the season.

Ports starter Scott Hodsdon (1-3) would post his third loss of the season giving up 4 ER on 6H, including a home run, and in 6.2 IP.

Joey Butler went 3-for-4 with 1 run and an RBI, Timothy Smith was 1-for-3 with his third homer of the season, and Jonathan Greene had two hits in 4 at bats.

The Blaze and Ports will play the finale of the four game series at Banner Island Park today at 7:05 p.m. The Blaze will begin a nine game home stand on May 5 against the San Jose Giants, first pitch at 7:15 p.m.

What’s Burning: Blaze 1B Mitchell Moreland leads the Cal League in double with nine…LF Timothy Lawson leads the team in batting with .365 AVG, .556 SLG and .452 OBP.

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The Stockton Ports (6-17) turned up the offense in game two powering past the Bakersfield Blaze (7-15) 10-1 to even the series at one on Saturday in front of a home crowd of 3,911 at Banner Island Park, in Stockton.

The Blaze would take an early lead in their first at bat picking up a pair of runs on hits from Beltre, Lawson and Smith before the Ports would answer back with two runs of their own in the bottom of the first tying the game at two and then adding six in the third including a solo blast to right by David Thomas off Blaze starter Blake Beaven.

Beaven (0-4), would have another miserable start only pitching 2.2 innings and allowing 8H, and 8 ER including the go-ahead run in the bottom of the third.

Ports pitching would give up 10 hits but would hold the Blaze to just four runs.

Starter Craig Italiano (2-2) would post his second win of the season giving up 4 ER on 8H, walking two and fanning three in 6.1 IP. Relievers Derrick Gordan (1.0 IP, 1 SO) and Jon Hunton (1.2 IP, 3 SV) would come in to hold the Blaze scoreless in the final innings.

Blaze relievers Zach Phillips (2.1 IP, 1 SO) and Ryan Tatusko (2.0 IP, 1 H, 4 SO) were called upon to stop the bleeding and held the Ports scoreless until the bottom of the seventh but there would be no comeback for the Blaze.

Bakersfield reliever Ryan Falcon gave up the final two runs in the bottom of the eighth giving Stockton a commanding 10-4 lead.

Engel Beltre went 2-3 but was caught stealing in the 5th down by six runs. Matt Lawson (2-5, double) and Jose Felix (2-3, double, walk) fueled Bakersfield’s offense.

The Blaze and Ports will play game three of the four game series at Banner Island Park today at 2:05 p.m.

What’s Burning: Against a team averaging 3.5 runs per game. Blake Beavan posted a career low for innings pitched (2.2) and runs allowed (8)…LF Timothy Smith leads the team with a .367 AVG.
with 22H, 3 doubles, 2 HR and 8 RBIs.

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The Bakersfield Blaze (7-14) defeated the Stockton Ports (5-17) 9-1 to take game one of a four game series in what would be a wet and windy Friday in front of a home crowd of 3,008 at Banner Island Park, in Stockton.

The game would begin with an eight-minute rain delay as grounds crew worked getting the tarp off the field and the diamond in playable condition.

Ports Starter Carlos Hernandez (1-2) gave up 4 ER on 3H, walking five in 3 IP allowing the Blaze to score a pair of runs in the first and third innings taking an early 4-0 lead.

The game would resume play following a 38-minute rain delay in the top of the fourth.

Blaze starter Michael Main (1-3), would go five innings allowing 5H, and no runs while walking three and fanning five of the 21 batters he faced. Relievers Tanner Roark (0-0) would come in the game in the bottom of the sixth and would allow 4H including Stockton’s only run in the bottom of the eighth before being replaced by Evan Reed (1-0) who would close out contest in the ninth.

The Blaze would add to their lead combining for a total of eleven hits in the game and scoring another pair of runs in the seventh on an RBI double by Mitch Moreland who would later cross the plate on an Ian Gac single to left field. The eighth inning would produced two more runs for Blaze increasing their lead 8-0, on singles from Davis Stoneburner, Engel Beltre and a Renny Osuna sacrifice fly.

In the bottom of the eighth, following a 10-minute rain delay, the Ports would snap the eight innings shut out on a Dante Love force ground out to third scoring Todd Johnson. The Ports would load the bases in the 7, 8 and 9 innings and leave a total of 14 stranded.

Bakersfield would solidify their lead in the ninth when Davis Stoneburner singled on a fly ball to right field driving in Bakersfield’s ninth run of the game.

Engel Beltre went 2-for-4 with 2H, and an RBI, Mauro Gomez was 1-for-3 with 2 RBIs, and Davis Stoneburner had 2H, a double and an RBI in 5 AB.

The Blaze will play game two of the four game series at Banner Island Park tonight. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

What’s Burning: The win snaps a four-game Blaze losing streak…RHP Michael Main posted his first win of the 2009 season

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The Modesto Nuts (14-6) and the Blaze (6-14) combined for 21 hits as the Nuts doused the Blaze 6-5 to take two of a three game series Thursday in front of a crowd of 960 at Sam Lynn Ballpark.