Nuts Come Out on Top, Threaten to Even Series Presented by The Valley News
The Storm packed 3,557 into The Lake Elsinore Diamond on Saturday night for the final Saturday of the season. The Storm, however, were not able to match the explosive fun during the game that would come well after the final out when fireworks were sent into the night sky. They
The Storm packed 3,557 into The Lake Elsinore Diamond on Saturday night for the final Saturday of the season. The Storm, however, were not able to match the explosive fun during the game that would come well after the final out when fireworks were sent into the night sky. They lost their second game of the series by a final score of 6-4 to the Modesto Nuts.
The Nuts scored the first game of the evening in the very first frame. Miguel Mendez suffered a rare poor performance as he hit the first batter he faced and immediately gave up a double. The first run would be scored on a sacrifice fly.
Mendez only allowed a single in the next two innings, however, he struggled through turbulence in the fourth frame. Two singles and a walk loaded the bases with one out. Two runs would be scored, increasing the Nuts lead to three.
The Storm got a run back in the bottom of the fifth inning when Chase Valentine struck his fifth home run of the season. Unfortunately, a walk and a triple gave Modesto the run right back in the top of the next inning.
These four runs surrendered by Mendez were more than he had accrued in his previous five home appearances combined. In the 26.2 innings that began on June 2nd and ended on August 17th, he had allowed just three total runs while striking out 34 batters. His 2.61 home ERA is exactly twice as good as his road ERA (5.22).
The Storm scored in three of the next four innings but this only equaled three total runs, two fewer than the number needed to tie the game. In the bottom of the ninth, the Storm had two men on base before a double play and then had two more men on base after a run scored before the final out was made.