JETHAWKS NOTEBOOK: JETHAWKS STILL HAVE REASON TO TAKE THE FIELD : WILD-CARD BERTH REMAINS POSSIBILITY.

Byline: Chris Cocoles Staff Writer

The JetHawks, 34 games under .500 worth of them, are in a pennant race.

Granted, they're locked in the Valley Division's cellar and looking up at four teams ahead of them. But with back-to-back impressive victories against division contenders, the JetHawks (17-27 in the second half) shaved two games off the lead, including Sunday's 4-2 win over leader San Bernardino.

That followed a convincing 6-1 win at Rancho Cucamonga Saturday. A third consecutive California League playoff berth is possible, although it's a long shot - 24 hours earlier the JetHawks were pounded 12-0 at Lake Elsinore.

``These are two big wins against two teams that have had our number this season,'' said JetHawks catcher Greg Connors, referring to a combined 6-23 record against the Stampede and Quakes entering the weekend.

``We're playing good baseball. We're swinging the bats and we had some great pitching the past two nights,'' Connors said. ``We have to keep our heads up because we're still in it.''

Manager Darrin Garner reminded his team, which improved to 40-74 overall, that the second-half title as well as the wild-card berth (the JetHawks entered Monday 10-1/2 games behind Lake Elsinore) were within reach with 26 games remaining.

Perhaps that inspired pitchers Greg Wooten (seven innings, one run) and Chris Mears (eight innings, two runs) to throw back-to-back quality starts. They were supported by Alex Fernandez (homer, three RBI) on Saturday and Pee Wee Lopez (two RBI doubles) on Sunday.

``We're going to battle to the end,'' Garner said. ``We needed (Mears' strong outing Sunday) coming off what Wooten did. And he went in there and picked us up right back again.''

Back in style: Mears was able to keep up his usual seasonal chores of running and throwing on the side during his two-week stint with Team Canada at the Pan Am Games. At the same time, Mears rested what had been a tired arm and seemed rejuvenated in a 114-pitch outing Sunday.

``It felt good to be on the mound again here. . . . I wanted to get back to the routine of pitching every fifth day,'' said Mears, who had seven strikeouts and no walks while allowing eight hits. ``I want to come back in the Cal League and have a good last month.''

Mears won his last pre-Pan Am start on July 19 against Stockton. But while he lasted six innings, pitching coach Greg Harris noticed signs of a tired arm.

Mears appeared in just one inning in Canada's seven games, which turned out to be a blessing.

``I thought it did some good for him to go up there but not pitch much,'' Harris said.

Mears said he began to tire at the 85-pitch mark Sunday but got through the seventh with a shutout intact at 94 pitches. The 21-year-old right-hander allowed a single to Ismael Gallo leading off the eighth and served up a two-run homer to Eric Riggs on a 2-0 fastball.

``I got behind in the count and (Riggs) did what he was supposed to,'' Mears said of his only mistake. ``I think (the Pan Am hiatus) was a good break for my arm, but on the other hand, you want to keep throwing the ball.''

Harris noticed that Mears' arm began to drop as it did in his last JetHawks start, the hint that fatigue was taking its toll. But following the Riggs homer, Mears handled the Stampede's 3-4-5 hitters. Chin-Feng Chen and Bubba Crosby struck out, sandwiched between a Robb Gorr flyout to center.

``When that arm drops his ball becomes much more flat,'' Harris said. ``But he did a great job after the home run. He really bore down. This (San Bernardino) club can score runs in bunches, but he came right back and it looked to me like he was feeling OK.''

Leading off by example: The JetHawks' leadoff committee got another guinea pig Sunday in Jerry Amador, who joined the likes of Ramon Valera, Joel Ramirez, Gerald Eady, Jose Moreno and primary leadoff batters Jermaine Clark and Harvey Hargrove.

``I'm trying to set a record,'' Garner joked.

Amador, who has been bothered by a sore hand recently, struggled in his leadoff debut with four strikeouts in as many at-bats.

``Both myself and (hitting coach Dana Williams) noticed that (Amador) wasn't swinging as aggressive as he normally would,'' Garner said. ``He's a guy who usually goes in there and takes his cuts.''

Odds and ends: Lancaster's California Fall League team, the Stealth, will reportedly receive top St. Louis Cardinals pitching prospect Chad Hutchinson. The former two-sport star at Stanford is at Double-A Arkansas. The Stealth's complete roster, which hasn't been officially announced, will be filled by players from St. Louis, Seattle, Pittsburgh, Colorado, Detroit, Minnesota and Arizona. JetHawks first baseman Peanut Williams and Connors are likely Mariners representatives. . . .

On Sunday, Justin Kaye has regained his status as the JetHawks closer with a third save in eight days. Kaye pitched a scoreless ninth despite allowing a leadoff walk for his 13th save. . . .

Dodgers second baseman Eric Young, on rehab assignment Sunday, was the ninth major-leaguer faced by the JetHawks in 1999. The others are San Francisco's Mark Gardner (San Jose), Oakland's Kevin Jarvis (Modesto), San Diego's Greg Myers (Rancho Cucamonga), the Angels' Jack McDowell, Tim Salmon and Matt Luke and the Dodgers' Antonio Osuna and Mark Grudzielanek (San Bernardino).

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