The Blaze comes into tonight's game winners of four of its last five games. Pitcher Bear Bay started Bakersfield's recent run of good fortune, helping the Blaze beat Visalia 5-2 on Wednesday. In three starts this season, Bay is 2-1 with a 3.31 ERA.
Terry Blunt led the Blaze in Sunday's win over Lancaster, going 3-for-4 with two runs scored. Kendy Batista picked up the win for Bakersfield. He pitched six innings, giving up two runs on three hits. His ERA this season is an impressive 1.96.
I got to the park early Monday and took in batting practice. The Blaze spent extra time on bunting with John Mayberry Jr. putting on a clinic. However, as Bakersfield's cleanup hitter, Mayberry Jr. rarely bunts. I also watched second baseman Micah Furtado complete one of the most impressive double plays I've seen. With his glove hand, he scooped a ball through his right leg, sending it right to shortstop Matt Smith.

Note:
During Friday's game against Lancaster, five laptops were stolen out of the residence of six Bakersfield Blaze players. Sometime between when the players — Micah Furtado, Matt Smith, Freddie Thon, Terry Blunt and Brian Valichka — left for Sam Lynn Ball Park and returned from the game, someone punched out a window screen and broke into the residence shared by six players. John Mayberry Jr. also lives in the house. A police report has been filed.
"All of us lost memories, personal stuff," Furtado said before Monday's game against the JetHawks.

Game update
With one out in the top of the second, the game is scoreless. Neither team has a hit.

Lancaster scores three with two outs
In the third inning, the JetHawks scored three runs on two hits. Aaron Bates picked up an RBI single with two outs and two more runs scored when third baseman Chris Davis dropped a flare to left field that both Davis and shortstop Smith lost in the lights.

Blaze rallies
Bakersfield is proving to be resilent during its recent hot streak. The Blaze scored four runs in the bottom of the third to take the lead. After a throwing error by Lancaster first baseman Zach Daegas in the first inning, the Bakersfield slapped five straight hits, including RBI singles by Smith and Mayberry Jr and RBI doubles by Thomas Berkery and Brian Valichka.

Lancaster answers
The JetHawks hit solo home runs off the sunscreen in center field in the fifth and sixth to take a one-run lead.

One more for the JetHawks
Jay Johnson hit an RBI single in the top of the eighth to put the JetHawks up by two 6-4. The run was the first one given up by Blaze reliever Danny Ray Herrera this season.

Home run No. 6 for Davis
Chris Davis cut Lancaster's lead to 6-5 in the eighth with a deep home run to left field.

Mayberry Jr. comes up big
John Mayberry Jr. is expected to come through in the clutch. So when he stepped to the plate with runners on first and third and one out in the bottom of the ninth, his teammates knew he would deliver.
However, I don't think anyone was planning on hit hitting a game-winning three-run home run. It was a blast. It easily cleared the cypress trees in left field.
He was mobbed at home plate and all of a sudden, Bakersfield has won five of six.