Bishop’s Hit Extends Gulls’ Win Streak, 6-5

The Ventura County Gulls came from behind to defeat the Palm Springs Angels, 6-5, on Wednesday for their fifth straight California League victory.

The Gulls will play host to Palm Springs today in what figures to be their final game in Ventura. Team owners have said they will sell the franchise at the end of the season.

In Wednesday’s game, Jim Bishop hit a two-out triple in the bottom of the eighth inning to drive in Darryl Landrum with the winning run to complete a two-run rally.

Geronimo Berroa led off the inning with a double to left field and went to third on an infield out by Scott deMarrais. After Mike Jones struck out, Landrum doubled down the left field line to score Berroa.

Bishop followed with a triple off losing pitcher Barry Dacus (10-7). Dacus, who gave up three hits in 1 innings, had replaced starting pitcher Steve McGuire in the seventh.

Dave Walsh (5-3) picked up the win in relief of Enrique Burgos. The 6-1, 178-pound, left-hander pitched 4 innings of shutout ball for Ventura, allowing four hits, striking out three and walking none.

Palm Springs, which had jumped out to a 2-0 lead with solo runs in the first and fourth innings, helped Ventura back into the game with sloppy fielding in the fourth.

Berroa reached first when left fielder Doug Jennings dropped his fly ball. Greg Myers then singled to right, Berroa stopping at second.

Jones followed with a single, Berroa stopping at third and Myers at second. However, right fielder Reggie Lambert overthrew the cutoff man, allowing Berroa to score, Myers to take third and Jones to go to second.

McGuire followed with a wild pitch that allowed Myers to score with Jones taking third. Bishop then drove in his first run of the game with a sacrifice fly to give Ventura a 3-2 lead.

Palm Springs scored three runs in the fifth to take a 5-3 lead. Kent Anderson doubled home two runs and Doug Davis added a run-scoring single.

The Gulls narrowed the deficit to 5-4 in the bottom of the inning with Eric Yelding scoring on Berroa’s sacrifice fly.

That set the stage for Bishop’s eighth-inning heroics.