Gulls Are Going Nowhere Fast, 5-4

With little more than a week left in the California League season, the Ventura County Gulls are hard-pressed to find bright spots to what figures to be their one and only season in Ventura.

The Gulls, who will have a new name and new home next season, have given little reason for Ventura County to miss them with their play in the second half of the season. The Gulls proved to be one of the top teams in the Class-A league during the first half, finishing in second place in the Southern Division behind Palm Springs.

After many of the team’s best players moved up through the Toronto Blue Jays organization, the second half has become a struggle. The Gulls trail first-place Visalia by almost 20 games.

The team’s troubles continued Friday when the Gulls dropped a 5-4 decision to the San Jose Bees at Ventura College. About the only Gulls’ highlight was a solo home run by Geronimo Berroa, his 20th of the year. He shares the team lead with catcher Greg Myers.

Todd Provence (5-10) started and took the loss, pitching seven innings and allowing 13 of San Jose’s 17 hits. He gave up three runs, walked one and struck out one.

Reliever Tom Wasilewski worked the final two innings, allowing two runs on four hits. The two ninth-inning runs proved costly after the Gulls rallied for two runs in the bottom of the inning off San Jose starter Jim Tinkey. The rally fell a run short.

Tinkey (6-5) pitched a complete game, surviving an 11-hit Gulls’ attack. For San Jose, Nori Tanabe, Ed Jurak and Bobby Clark each had three hits. Tanabe and Jurak each hit a home run.