San Jose Uses 8th-Inning Rally to Top Gulls, 8-7

Nori Tanabe singled in the bottom of the eighth inning, scoring Mickey Yamano from second base, to give the San Jose Bees an 8-7 victory over the Ventura County Gulls on Tuesday night.

The Gulls lost their eighth straight California League game and fell to 9-19 in the second half. San Jose improved to 18-14.

Lorenzo Gray led off the San Jose eighth with a double. Yamano, trying to sacrifice, instead got an infield single. Jerry White grounded to second, tying the game at 7 before Tanabe’s single gave the Bees an 8-7 lead.

Jeff Blobaum pitched the top of the ninth to earn the save in relief of Bees’ winning pitcher Jim Tinkey (5-5). Hugh Brinson (8-4) took the loss for the Gulls.

Gulls shortstop Eric Yelding had two triples and three runs batted in. He drove home two runs in the top of the fourth, giving Ventura County its biggest lead, 6-2.

But San Jose tied it in the bottom of the fourth.

Dave Okubo singled and moved to third on Gray’s double. Yamano drove him in with a single, making it 6-3. Sean Barton followed with a double to score Gray, and White grounded to first to drive home Yamano to make it, 6-5. Barton scored on a wild pitch by Gulls starter Jose Mesa to tie the game.

Earlier, Omar Malave hit his first home run of the season, a two-run shot that gave the Gulls a 3-1 lead in the top of the second.