After offense strikes early, Blaze turns three double plays in 7-3 playoff win
| Monday, Sep 14 2009 11:16 PM
Last Updated Monday, Sep 14 2009 11:24 PM
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Henry A. Barrios / The Californian Bakersfield Blaze #5 Davis Stoneburner, right, and San Jose Giants' #17 Francisco Peguero look for the throw to first base on a double play that started at 2nd base. The Blaze and the Giants played the 3rd game in a best of five playoff series Monday night in Bakersfield.
Henry A. Barrios / The Californian Bakersfield Blaze's Mauro Gomez is all smiles after hitting his 2nd home run in the playoff game against the San Jose Giants Monday night.
After blowing a 3-run lead to the San Jose Giants in the eighth inning of Game 2, the Bakersfield Blaze wasted little time showing it fully recovered from Sunday's late collapse.
On the strength of two, two-run home runs in its first two at bats, the Blaze survived yet another elimination game with a 7-3 victory Monday in Game 3 of the best-of-five California League North Division finals at Sam Lynn Ball Park.
What's done is done," Blaze manager Steve Buechele said about Sunday's loss. "If you play this game long enough you're going to see a lot of crazy things. But that's a good ball club over there. They didn't win almost 100 games for nothing."
Bakersfield, which won two straight elimination games en route to defeating the Modesto Nuts in the playoff opener, hosts San Jose in Game 4 tonight at 7:05.
"Our main objective is to come back and win Game 4,"Buechele said. "But this is playoff baseball. They know what to expect from us and we know what to expect from them. ... We know they're never going to quit and I know we won't."
The Giants, who scored eight runs in the eighth inning to take a 2-0 series lead Sunday, scored in their first at bat off Blaze starter Kennil Gomez.
Gomez walked lead-off batter Darren Ford on four pitches and one out later Thomas Neal singled him home for a 1-0 lead.
But Gomez worked himself out of trouble when needed before tiring with two outs in the seventh. Despite six walks, Gomez held San Jose scoreless the rest of the way, scattering six hits while striking out five.
He was also aided by two double plays. The Blaze added another in the eighth to end a Giants rally. After San Jose scored two runs off Ryan Falcon, Tyler Tufts gave up a single before inducing Brian Bocock to ground into a game-ending double play.
Evan Reed worked himself in and out of trouble in the ninth to close out the game. Reed loaded the bases with two walks and a single to bring Conor Gillaspie to the plate as the potential tying run. Reed struck him out looking to end the rally and the game.
Bakersfield scored all six runs in the first two innings. Back-to-back doubles by Joey Butler and Mauro Gomez with two outs in the first tied the game and Mike Bianucci followed with a two-run home run off Giants' starter Eric Surkamp. The Blaze sent nine batters to the plate in the first.
