SWEEP PUTS HAWKS BACK IN RACE : JETHAWKS 4, VISALIA 3.Byline: Chris Cocoles Daily News Staff Writer They're locked in the cellar of the Valley Division's second-half race, but the JetHawks enter tonight's three-game series against Modesto on top in another category. The JetHawks' 60-53 overall record is more significant than their 21-23 second-half mark and the fact they're nine games behind In sports, the phrase games behind, often abbreviated as GB in tables, is a common way to reflect the gap between a leading team and another team in a sports league, conference, or division. division-leading High Desert. Sunday's 4-3 win over the host Visalia Oaks The Visalia Oaks are a minor league baseball team in Visalia, California, U.S. They are a "high-A" class team of the Arizona Diamondbacks operating in the California League. The Oaks play home games at Recreation Park; opened in 1967, the stadium seats 1,800 fans. guarantees Lancaster a one-game cushion over the A's in the wild-card race when the teams meet at Lancaster Municipal Stadium. At the All-Star break, the JetHawks' 40-30 record was a full five games ahead of Modesto. That's when the roster was decimated by player promotions and injuries. Lancaster's comfortable lead vanished and the A's moved into the wild-card lead. But by sweeping Visalia, the JetHawks regained the role of front-runners. ``We needed the momentum,'' said pitcher Kevin Gryboski Kevin John Gryboski (born November 15, 1973 in Wilkes-Barre, PA, U.S.), is a Major League Baseball player with the Pittsburgh Pirates of the National League. Gryboski, a right-handed pitcher, was acquired by the Atlanta Braves in January 2002 and traded to Texas in July of 2005 for (3-5), whose 4-2/3 scoreless innings out of the bullpen in the series stifled the Oaks. ``We've been able to come from behind to win the last couple nights.'' Sunday's deficit was 3-0 in the fourth, but back-to-back home runs by Brendan Kingman Brendan Kingman (born May 22, 1973) is an Australian baseballer. In 2004, he was part of the Australian Olympic baseball team, who achieved a Silver Medal in the baseball tournament at the Athens Olympics. and Jayson Bass quickly tied it. Greg Connors contributed a solo blast Noun 1. solo blast - a home run with no runners on base solo homer home run, homer - a base hit on which the batter scores a run in the seventh to put the JetHawks ahead. The JetHawks scored four times in the ninth to win Saturday's game. ``It feels good, the way we've been able to come back and win,'' Connors said. ``It's definitely a lift for us. We're showing good poise in the late innings.'' This is a good time to be playing sharp baseball. The JetHawks face a brutal stretch over the season's final month. This week alone, they play three against Modesto and four at Freeway Division-leading Rancho Cucamonga Rancho Cucamonga (răn`chō k  'kəmäng`gə), city (1990 pop. 101,409), San Bernardino co., S Calif. .
``This is what baseball is all about, to play for something,'' JetHawks manager Rick Burleson Tonight's pitching matchup: JetHawks LH Brian Fuentes (4-5, 4.54) vs. A's RH Luis Vizcaino, 7:11 at Lancaster Municipal Stadium. |
|
||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion