Bishop Fights Back to End Gulls’ Losing Streak, 4-1

Third baseman Jim Bishop of the Ventura County Gulls almost left Thursday’s game against Modesto in the sixth inning after fielding a bad-hop single with his face. But Bishop remained, staying in the game to answer the shot to the jaw with a shot from his bat.

His single to left field in the seventh inning scored the go-ahead run, as the Gulls defeated the A’s, 4-1, at Ventura College, breaking a four-game losing streak.

Bishop’s hit came on the heels of a Geronimo Berroa single and an error that allowed Greg Myers to reach first base.

“The hit-and-run by Bishop with men at first and second and no outs, after we had them thinking a little about the bunt, was a key,” Gulls Manager Glenn Ezell said. “We hit it hard and that’s what you look for.

“You want them to put it hard in play somewhere. He did, and it got through, and we got a run out of it.”

The single made the score 2-1 and sent Myers to third. Myers then scored when Darryl Landrum hit into a double play.

The Gulls, who entered Thursday’s action having lost 13 of their last 16 games, added an insurance run in the eighth. Santiago Garcia, who was 2 for 4, singled to left field, stole second and went to third on a ground out. He then scored on a wild pitch.

Ezell had recently changed the batting order, moving Garcia from the leadoff spot to the No. 6 position. After the Gulls lost by 13 runs on Wednesday, Garcia was moved back to the leadoff position.

“Santiago has been quite steady,” Ezell said. “I wanted to try something. We haven’t been getting any production from the latter part of our lineup whatsoever. I was hoping to get him into a little bit of an RBI spot right there in the sixth position. Obviously, it didn’t work.”

What did work for the Gulls, however, was the addition of Hugh Brinson to the starting rotation. Brinson allowed only three hits in six innings before being replaced by Pablo Reyes, who struck out three and allowed only one hit in 1 innings to pick up his first win of the season. William Shanks got the final five outs for his 15th save.

“We had mostly right-handers coming up after facing the two good left-handers,” Ezell said. “Pablo had done a nice job. He had done his chore and it was time for William Shanks to come in and finish the ballgame.”

Modesto scored its only run in the fourth off Brinson. Steve Howard singled and was forced at second by Rich Martig, who moved to second after Brinson hit Lance Blankenship with a pitch. Jim Jones then hit a ground-ball single past shortstop Eric Yelding to score Martig.