Bakersfield Pairs Off to Hand Gulls a 10-2 Defeat

Scoring two runs in five different innings, the Bakersfield Dodgers pounded the Ventura County Gulls, 10-2, Wednesday at Ventura College.

The Gulls (19-32) fell deeper into fifth place in the Southern Division of the California League. At this rate, they may even challenge Bakersfield (10-43) for rights to the cellar.

Left-hander Rene Garcia, who attended Hoover High in Glendale, pitched a complete game for Bakersfield. A two-run home run in the ninth inning by Domingo Martinez, his ninth of the season, spoiled Garcia’s bid for a shutout. Garcia (3-5) struck out three and induced 14 ground outs.

Bakersfield scored two runs in the second, third, fifth, sixth and seventh innings. Gull starter Mark Dickman lasted only 2 innings, allowing four runs.

An infield single and stolen base by Jovan Edwards, a walk to Manny Francois and a double by Ted Holcomb accounted for the first two Dodgers runs. Bert Flores led off the third with a double, and with two out, Fred Gegen doubled to right to score Flores. Edwards singled to right to score Gegen and chase Dickman.

Right-hander Tom Wasilewski replaced Dickman and had a 1-2-3 fourth before allowing two more Dodger runs in the fifth. Mike Burke began the inning with a single and advanced to third on a double by Manny Benitez. Gegen lifted a sacrifice fly to left to score Burke, and a single to right by Dave Carlucci scored Benitez to give Bakersfield a 6-0 advantage.

Elvis Ciprian took over for Wasilewski to begin the sixth, but the Dodgers kept scoring runs in pairs. Holcomb greeted Ciprian with a single to right. Dave Alarid followed with a single but was thrown out attempting to stretch it into a double. But Burke ripped a home run over the right-field fence.

Bakersfield’s two seventh-inning runs came on a leadoff home run by Gegen and a single by Alarid, which followed walks to Carlucci and Holcomb.