JetHawks End 6-Game Slide

LANCASTER —  Although Shane Monahan’s two-out eighth-inning hit drove in the go-ahead run in the JetHawks’ 6-5 victory over the Modesto A’s on Thursday night at the Hangar, the hero of the game was still John Thompson.

Thompson and his 6.75 earned-run average had become the unfortunate symbols of the JetHawks’ recent bullpen woes; the relievers went into the game having allowed 23 earned runs in their last 22 innings.

But Thompson (2-6) retired three of the four hitters he faced, two on strikeouts, and catcher Scot Sealy threw out Jose Castro stealing to end the game and send a crowd of 4,313 home happy.

“It’s good to get a little confidence back,” Thompson said. “We can just forget about that touchdown ERA and just try to finish strong. It’s not how you start; it’s how you finish.”

The JetHawks had just blown yet another lead, this one, 4-1, in the eighth, to fall behind 5-4, when they came to bat in the bottom of the eighth.

Chris Dean hit a one-out double and Sealy drilled a two-out double into right-center field, scoring Dean to tie the game. After Mike Lanza reached first on an error, Monahan drove in Sealy with a ground-rule double to left center.

The JetHawks (18-23) snapped a six-game losing streak, although it looked for a time like this might be Ugly Chapter No. 7 to the streak.

Greg Wooten pitched a strong game for the JetHawks into the eighth when he gave up singles to the first two batters and then a warning-track fly-ball out, which sent Wilfredo Ventura to third.

Mike Neill singled to make it 4-2. Emil Brown pushed an opposite-field single to right, driving in Dave Newhan. When Jesus Marquez booted the ball, allowing it to roll to the warning track, Neill scored from first and Brown went to third.

Left-handed reliever Todd Niemeier gave up a run-scoring ground ball to D.T. Cromer, giving the A’s a 5-4 lead.

Wooten was charged with all five runs, two earned, in 7 1/3 innings.

The JetHawks had taken the 4-1 lead on a solo home run by Scott Smith and Mike Lanza’s three-run home run in the sixth.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

JetHawks 6, Modesto 5

Modesto 000 010 040 -- 5 11 2

JetHawks 000 004 02x -- 6 10 3

Jimenez, Perez (8), Connelly (8) and Ventura; Wooten, Niemeier (8), Thompson (8) and Sealy.

W--Thompson (2-6). L--Connelly (4-7).

2B: J--Dean, Sealy, Monahan. HR:J--Smith (8), Lanza (2).

Records: Modesto 28-14; JetHawks 18-23.