ANOTHER LOSS FOR JETHAWKS; LANCASTER CAUGHT BY MODESTO IN RACE FOR LAST PLAYOFF BERTH : SAN JOSE 10 JETHAWKS 3.

Byline: Chris Cocoles Daily News Staff Writer

It's a dead heat for the California League Valley Division's last remaining playoff berth, and the JetHawks are barely classified among the living.

The JetHawks' limp home continued Friday night at San Jose, with the last-place Giants rolling to a 10-3 victory, allowing Modesto, a 6-0 winner of Stockton, to tie the JetHawks at 73-65 overall.

``There is a lot of momentum to this game and we just can't swing it back in our favor,'' said JetHawks' manager Rick Burleson, whose team is ending a nine-game road swing to finish the season. ``There are teams that can gain a lot of momentum when they are playing at home, but we just can't seem to get any here on the road.''

In losing for the third straight night and fourth time in five games, the JetHawks unraveled beginning in the fourth inning via an unlikely San Jose power source.

With a runner on first and one out in the fourth, San Jose third baseman Mark Mosier fouled off seven pitches with two strikes and with a full count slapped a hit-and-run single to right that sent Giuseppe Chiaramonte to third base.

Angel Mendez popped out, but Teo Prospero, the No. 9 hitter in the Giants' order, blasted Jason Bond's 1-1 offering over the fence in right-center field to put San Jose up 4-2.

The JetHawks got back within one on Jim Horner's ninth home run in the fifth inning, but another well-placed Mosier hit and an error canceled the run.

In the sixth, Mosier's bouncing ball sailed over the head of first baseman Shawn Buhner. The ball then rolled under the glove of JetHawks right fielder Greg Connors and Mosier scored all the way from first to make it 5-3.

The JetHawks erased a 1-0 deficit in the second inning. Buhner ripped a leadoff single and went to second on a Jeff Andra balk. Andra retired the next two hitters but Luis Molina singled home Buhner, Joe Mathis walked and Cirilo Cruz singled to score Molina.

San Jose added three runs in the seventh and two more in the eighth and reliever Luis Estrella shattered any late-inning comeback hopes, tossing four scoreless, hitless innings. Horner's home run in the fifth was the last of four hits by the JetHawks.

In the eighth, JetHawks reliever Kevin Gryboski threw a wild pitch while attempting to intentionally walk Bobby Bonds Jr., a moment that typified this late-season tailspin.

JETHAWKS UPDATE

Magic number watch: Three. Any combination of JetHawks wins and Modesto losses totaling three games clinches a California League wild-card berth. If they clinch a playoff spot, the JetHawks' ticket offices will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday and Monday.

Coin flip to A's: In the event of a two-way tie between the JetHawks and Modesto, the A's would host a one-game playoff on Monday at 7:05 p.m.

Tonight's matchup: The JetHawks Ivan Montane (1-2, 4.94) vs. San Jose's Alberto Castillo (2-2, 5.65); 5 p.m. at San Jose Municipal Stadium.

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