Battered Bullpen Gives JetHawks No Relief

LANCASTER â€”  A new face, but the problems remain the same.

Eric Morgan, who was promoted to the JetHawks a week ago, gave up a three-run home run to Dave Newhan in the top of the eighth inning, providing the crushing blow in the JetHawks’ 9-8 loss to the Modesto A’s on Tuesday night at the Hangar.

The homer gave Modesto a two-run lead in a game the JetHawks led by four runs in the seventh.

The JetHawks got a run on Scot Sealy’s bloop single in the bottom of the eighth to pull within 9-8 and stranded Shane Monahan at third base in the ninth.

The JetHawk relief pitchers had given up 15 earned runs in 16 2/3 innings in the seven games prior to Tuesday night.

Morgan began the eighth by walking No. 8 hitter Danny Ardoin and No. 9 hitter Jose Castro. Newhan, a former Pepperdine standout, then hit his 17th home run of the season, more than 410 feet to dead center field, silencing what was left of the paid crowd of 4,059.

The last-place JetHawks, who went into the game with 14 losses in 18 games, had a 7-3 lead after six innings.

JetHawk starter Marino Santana pitched well after giving up a two-run homer in the top of the first. Santana has given up 21 homers, second most in the league.

The JetHawks came back in the second, when Carlos Villalobos’ fifth home run tied the score, 2-2.

In the third, the JetHawks might have had a big inning if not for a baserunning gaffe. Chris Dean led off with an apparent triple, but was called out after the A’s appealed that he missed second base.

Three of the next four JetHawks had hits, including Jesus Marquez’s run-scoring double and Scott Smith’s two-run home run, giving the JetHawks a 5-2 lead.

In the fourth, Sealy drove in a run with a 410-foot double off the center-field fence. An inning later, Villalobos singled home Smith to give the JetHawks a 7-3 lead.

Santana, who had settled down and held Modesto through the middle innings, left with two outs in the seventh. He allowed six hits and four runs in 6 2/3 innings with six strikeouts.

Modesto 9, JetHawks 8

Modesto: 200 100 330 -- 9 10 1

JetHawks: 023 110 010 -- 8 11 1

Nelson, Walsh (5), Shaw (8), Connelly and Ardoin; Santana, Niemeier (7), Morgan (7), Thompson (8) and Sealy.

W--Walsh (3-1). L--Morgan (0-1). S--Connelly.

2B: M--Slemmer; J--Marquez, Sealy, Monahan. HR:M--Niell (16), Newhan (17); J--Villalobos (5), Smith (7).

Records: Modesto 27-13; JetHawks 17-22.

* JETHAWK REPORT: C5