MODESTO 7, STORM 2: Storm drop fifth straight

By The Californian | Sunday, May 11, 2008 9:46 AM PDT ∞

The Storm dented the scoreboard Saturday, but not enough to get a win.

Lake Elsinore fell to Modesto, 7-2, at John Thurman Field to drop their fifth straight game.

The Storm have now scored just four runs in five games, including three shutouts, on their six-game road trip to the California League's North Division.

Making his first start of the season after 15 appearances out of the bullpen, Ernesto Frieri (1-2) took the loss. He went 3 1/3 innings, giving up two runs on four hits and a walk while striking out three.

Both runs off the right-hander came on Nuts center fielder Anthony Jackson's first home run of the year, which came in the third and plated Jay Cox, who had doubled.

The Nuts (17-19) added two more runs in the sixth, both which were charged to reliever Brooks Dunn. Jason Van Kooten drove in one run with a sacrifice bunt, and Daniel Mayora scored on a wild pitch by Michael DeMark, who replaced Dunn with two outs in the inning.

Rolando Valdez gave up three runs in the Modesto half of the eighth. Cox had an RBI triple in the frame and scored on Jackson's single. Jackson later scored on a wild pitch.

Jodam Rivera got the Storm (17-19) on the board in the fifth, coming home on a balk by Modesto starter Esmil Rogers. Sam Carter drove in Robert Perry with the Storm's second run with a two-out single off Thomas Baumgardner in the seventh.

Rogers (4-2) earned the win by holding the Storm to the one run on five hits and two walks in six innings.

Et cetera

IF Keoni Ruth was activated from the disabled list, where he had been since April 10 because of a strained hamstring, and IF Tom King was promoted to Triple-A Portland (Ore.).

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