Modesto Nuts v. Stockton Ports Review

Modesto wins the series 2-0
Series MVP: Rob Scahill

Game One: Scahill stymies Ports in complete game

Pitching was the story in game one as Rob Scahill and Shawn Haviland went toe to toe for most of the game. Stockton struck first, but their 3rd inning run would be their last. Modesto was opportunistic, scoring a run on Tim Wheeler's sac fly and scoring another on a wild pitch. Hits were hard to come by, only 11 between both teams, but strikeouts were not. Two Stockton pitched combined for nine, and Scahill struck out his career high 11th in the 9th inning on the way to a complete game.

Game Two: Modesto survives late rally, advances to next round

Once again, a Nuts starter dominated, but this time they also provided some early offensive support. Modesto took advantage of a hit by pitch and error to score four runs with two outs in the second inning. Stockton scored one in the 4th, but Ryan Peisel's two run home run the next half inning put the game out of reach. Juan Nicasio cruised through six innings, allowing one run and striking out eight. Stockton mounted a rally late and got the tying run to the plate in the 9th, but Grant Green lined out on a great catch by Ryan Peisel to end the game and series.

Modesto certainly proved that their hot streak at the end of the season was no fluke and not a product of playing a weak Inland Empire team. Counting these two playoff wins, the Nuts finished with a four game winning streak against Stockton. They only scored three runs in game one, but they took advantage of the few opportunities they had. It was how they scored runs all season, and they'll continue to score those runs under Jerry Weinstein. In game two, they jumped on the Ports early and finished with six runs which became the norm for them down the stretch of the regular season.

It's safe to say the good Juan Nicasio came to pitch on Thursday. He didn't throw a complete game like Rob Scahill, but I'm sure Modesto was satisfied with eight strikeouts and only one run in six innings. Nicasio struggled against Stockton for most of the season, but in the end he pitched like he has all year. He showed his trademark great control and earned strikeouts using a variety of pitches. All of Modesto's pitchers did a great job in this series, and it was a continuation of the last three weeks. Game two got a little hairy at the end, but the bullpen got out of it like they did all season.

I said in the preview that Modesto's pitchers matched up well with Stockton's lineup, and that proved to be correct. Stockton was held to just three runs combined, and three runs isn't good enough to win most Cal League games, let alone two of them. They had 13 hits in game two but left a lot of runners on base. They didn't have all those hits in the series opener, and their offensive surge late in the year came to a sudden halt. Stephen Parker and Mike Spina combined to hit 3 for 16, and catcher Yusuf Carter didn't have any hits. Tyler Ladendorf hit the team's only home runs, and without hitting the ball over the fence, they weren't productive.

Shawn Haviland certainly did his job and was a tough luck loser in game one. He proved why he was chosen for the league's postseason All-Star team, but the Ports came up short. Justin Murray followed him with a start in game two and pitched about as well as he did all year. The ERA turned out okay, but he allowed a lot of hits and baserunners and unearned runs came back to bite Stockton. The bullpen pitched great and didn't allow a run even though they got extended work in the second game. As for Paul Smyth returning to form? Stockton obviously didn't have any save opportunities, and he didn't appear in either game.