JETHAWKS: AGGRESSIVE - AND FRUSTRATED - JETHAWKS PLUG AWAY : HIGH-RISK TACTICS PLAYED ROLE IN LOSS.

Byline: Chris Cocoles Staff Writer

Give the JetHawks credit for sticking to the game plan.

No matter how many runners were picked off or caught stealing on Monday night, manager Darrin Garner's ballclub was going to keep an aggressive attitude on the basepaths. It's a high-risk approach to the game, with the JetHawks serving up lukewarm results in a 7-4 loss to the San Bernardino Stampede.

Long before Stampede second baseman Eric Riggs hit a ninth-inning grand slam to steal the win, the JetHawks gambled multiple times with runners at third base.

With one out in the second, Marco Estrada hit a ground ball to drawn-in Stampede third baseman Brett Illig, who had a play at home with Greg Connors breaking for the plate. Illig threw to first instead and Connors scored the game's first run.

``He was running on contact all the way in that situation,'' said Garner, the team's third-base coach. ``It worked out for us.''

In the sixth, the JetHawks were looking to build on a 4-2 lead. Catcher Rafael Lopez was on third with two outs when Steve Colyer's pitch eluded catcher John Hernandez and rolled a few feet away.

Lopez never hesitated as he headed home, but Hernandez got to the ball quickly and flipped back to Colyer. Lopez slid right into the tag and was called out.

``You've got to go right there,'' Garner said. ``It was close, a bang-bang play. I couldn't tell if he was in under the tag or not. There's nothing you could do about it.''

Garner had an even more helpless feeling the next inning when another opportunity to pad the lead was wasted.

Stampede reliever Pedro Flores struggled upon entering in the seventh. He allowed a single to Estrada and a walk to Jermaine Clark. They were bunted into scoring position but Estrada missed a sign and broke toward home as if he were expecting a squeeze bunt.

Estrada, who joined the JetHawks over the weekend from the independent Northern League, was picked off and the rally fizzled.

``Just a communication problem,'' Garner said.

Garner believes the two runs that got away were trivial in light of Riggs' grand slam off closer Justin Kaye.

``You look back at the those plays. . . . One extra run or two extra runs, it didn't matter,'' Garner said. ``The guy hit the grand slam anyway.''

A bitter loss: The Stampede was charged with four errors Monday compared to none by the JetHawks.

It didn't matter on the final scoreboard. Riggs' homer got the Stampede off the hook.

``We made some mistakes tonight. But (San Bernardino) made four errors and still won the game,'' Garner said. ``We should have won this game.''

Especially with Kaye taking the mound having converted 10 of 12 previous save opportunities. But the right-hander was ineffective, giving up a single, a walk and a hit batter that loaded the bases for Riggs.

``You put your closer in to slam the door and he didn't get the job done,'' Garner said.

Pee Wee's playhouse: Lopez, who answers to the nickname Pee Wee, loves to play the Stampede. Through Monday, the catcher was hitting .393 (11 for 28) against San Bernardino and .228 against the rest of the California League.

Lopez had a bittersweet night Monday. It started well: He threw out major-league rehabbing shortstop Mark Grudzielanek trying to steal second. However, that was Lopez's high note. In his first at-bat he was plunked in the left forearm by a Colyer fastball.

In the sixth, Lopez got a tough call from the official scorer when his blooper into short left field dropped over the shoulder off shortstop Ismael Gallo and off his glove. It was ruled an error.

Lopez stole second and moved to third on a Colyer wild pitch but was tagged out on the pitch that got away from Hernandez.

Million-fan march: The JetHawks host Modesto tonight in the opener of a six-game homestand. With good crowds every night, the one millionth fan in Lancaster Municipal Stadium history will enter through the turnstiles.

It's been a foregone conclusion it would take place this summer. Now it's a question of when.

Entering the homestand, The Hangar has drawn 977,784 paying customers. That leaves the franchise 22,216 short of one million. The JetHawks will reach that mark by averaging 3,703 over the next six games.

JetHawks vice president/general manager Matt Ellis expects his team to reach the milestone during a three-game series with Stockton the weekend of July 17-19.