Gulls Fall Short Against Giants in the 9th, 8-7

The wind was blowing out Wednesday at Ventura College, where the Ventura County Gulls were trying to make yet another California League opponent blow yet another lead.

While the Gulls managed six extra-base hits, however, their late-inning magic fell 90 feet short in an 8-7 loss to the Fresno Giants.

But this team does know how to make a Class-A game interesting.

The Gulls fell behind--as had been their custom in 24 of their last 30 victories--after three innings, 7-3.

They then pecked away until the Giants were clinging to a one-run lead with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth.

Only then did Randy McCament, Fresno’s third pitcher of the inning, induce Santiago Garcia to tap a grounder to third base for the game’s final out.

Considering their record in coming from behind, the Gulls probably should have known they were in trouble in the first inning when they jumped out to a 3-0 lead.

The runs came from a three-run homer off Giants pitcher Sam Moore by Greg Myers, his ninth of the season.

It wasn’t the home run Moore allowed that bothered Giants’ Manager Tim Blackwell, however. It was the walks to Luis Reyna and Garcia that preceded it.

“That’s how Sam had been getting in trouble all season,” Blackwell said. “He was in for a long day if he would have kept that up.”

Actually, Moore might have been in for a very short day, or at least a very short stay on the mound. But he settled down to allow eight hits and one more walk through eight innings.

Gull starter Dave Walsh (0-2) also had control problems, but didn’t stay around as long.

The Giants scored five times in the second inning on three walks, two doubles and an error. Walsh was gone after allowing a one-out homer to Ty Dabney, followed by a single by Scott Thompson.

Moore flirted with trouble throughout the game, striking out three and getting only one ground ball out.

Solo homers by Reyna and Geronimo Berroa and a run-scoring single by Eric Yelding helped the Gulls trim the Giants lead to 7-6 after seven innings.

Fresno added a run in the eighth on Dabney’s second homer, his 12th of the season.

Moore (4-3) left the game in favor relief pitcher Tom Messier after Berroa led off the Gulls’ half of the ninth with a line single to left.

Messier, a left-hander, struck out Domingo Martinez, surrendered a single to Jim Bishop, then struck out Mike Jones before walking Yelding to load the bases.

Gulls Manager Glenn Ezell elected to pinch-hit for the left-handed hitting Reyna with right-hander Omar Malave.

Blackwell countered the move by removing Messier in favor of McCament, who walked Malave to force in a run before getting the final out.

Gull Notes

Ventura County has drawn a total of 1,003 fans in its last two games. That includes a count of 379 season ticket holders each game. That means as few as 245 fans bought tickets at the field this week. Despite the Gulls’ 38-21 record, the team is next to last in the league in attendance, averaging 753 a game. . . . Darryl Landrum continued to struggle at the plate. After striking out swinging in all four plate appearances on Tuesday, he struck out looking in his first at bat on Wednesday, then walked and struck out again. In his last at bat, he finally managed to hit the ball, sending a deep fly to right-center field that was caught. Landrum once led the league in home runs, but is hitting less than .200 since returning to the lineup three weeks ago after having been sidelined by a broken thumb. . . . Gull catcher Greg Myers threw out two runners attempting to steal second in his second game back after missing a game with a bruised shoulder. The only Fresno runner to steal second did so without a throw after getting a big jump off first.