Wild one gets away from Blaze
| Wednesday, Sep 16 2009 11:06 PM
Last Updated Wednesday, Sep 16 2009 11:08 PM
SAN JOSE If Bakersfield was able to change the rules of professional baseball, it would have requested that there should never be a bottom of the eighth inning in any California League playoff game played at San Jose's Municipal Stadium.
For the second straight road game, the Blaze endured a disastrous eighth at the hands of the San Jose Giants, falling 12-3 in Game 5 of the North Division Championship.
With a one-run lead in the eighth, the Giants took advantage of a plague of Blaze walks, wild pitches, errors and broken-bat singles to score eight runs and end the Blaze's playoff run.
San Jose will play High Desert for the California League championship.
Bakersfield took a 2-0 lead in the top of the third when Jacob Kaase, subbing for the injured Tommy Mendonca, drew a leadoff walk off San Jose starter David Mixon. Kaase scored from first when Giants outfielder Thomas Neal mishandled David Paisano's ground-ball double to left field. Matt Lawson followed with an RBI single to center scoring Paisano.
San Jose's Connor Gillaspie's leadoff home run cut the margin in half, but the Blaze regained its two-run lead when Lawson collected his 14th hit of the postseason, a sixth inning triple off the right centerfield wall and scored on a Davis Stoneburner single.
Blaze starter Richard Bleier started to tire in the seventh and was removed with one out after the Giants cut the lead to 3-2.
With the tying run on second, Blaze manager Steve Buechele called on Ridgeview High graduate and former Fresno State player Justin Miller.
The lanky Miller, who had trouble the last time he pitched in San Jose, albeit during a rainstorm, could not keep the Giants from taking the lead as he sandwiched a base on balls around three wild pitches and a sacrifice fly. When the inning was over, the Blaze trailed 4-3.
Bakersfield missed on a golden opportunity to tie the game in the eighth as Paisano led off with a double and was sacrificed to third by Lawson. Infield groundouts by Stoneburner and Joey Butler stranded Paisano for the second time in as many home games, and the Giants posted an 8-run eighth inning.
What's burnin'
Blaze third baseman Tommy Mendonca missed his second consecutive game after suffering a severely bruised wrist in Monday's game against the Giants.
In 2008, all of the Texas Rangers full season minor league affiliates except Bakersfield made the playoffs. In 2009, only the Bakersfield franchise represented the Rangers in minor league post season play.
The next Blaze home game will be April 9, 2010 versus Lancaster at Sam Lynn Ball Park. Starting pitchers to be announced.
