Inside The Shell -- The calm after the storm

Modesto 5, Stockton 0 -- Game 63 of 140

GAME IN A GRAF – Keith Weiser allowed five hits and no walks through seven innings and David Patton finished from there as the Nuts blanked the Ports on a warm pre-summer afternoon. Nick Haley drove in three runs, Victor Ferrante plated the other two and Anthony Jackson scored twice as the Nuts claimed their third win in 14 tries against Stockton this season.

BEYER’S MALONE COMES ABOARD – I’ll be writing more about this in my next post, but Beyer High graduate Chris Malone joined the Modesto Nuts on Sunday. Malone was signed as a free agent by the Los Angeles Dodgers, and was released out of spring training earlier this year. He had just signed to play independent ball with Chico when the Rockies called.

THE FALLOUT – Jose Fragoso was in the Stockton bullpen when Saturday night’s brawl broke out on the John Thurman Field infield. The reliever ran out and joined the fray with the rest of his teammates and got lost in the mob.
No one really saw what happened to Fragoso, or which Modesto player he engaged in battle, but when order was restored Fragoso was the one who took the worst of the exchange.
The 22-year-old Dominican righty spent a good part of Sunday morning at a hospital, where doctors tended to the two fractures to his left cheekbone – likely season-ending injuries.
As of Sunday afternoon, there had been no response from the California League office about the suspensions and fines certain to be levied from Saturday’s brawl.
But Fregoso, likely out for the season, will be paying the largest price for a situation that was allowed to get out of hand.
For a detailed recap of the brawl, scroll down to read my previous blog post. But Modesto manager Jerry Weinstein was able to capture the essence of the incident in a few well-selected words:
Said Weinstein: “We started it, they exacerbated it, and then it got out of control.”
My observations:
1. Modesto pitcher Aneury Rodriguez should be facing the largest suspension and fine. He not only started the landslide by drilling Ports’ hitter Matt Sulentic, but ran back out onto the field from the clubhouse after his ejection. He didn’t join the fight, but leaving the clubhouse was an inexcusable act.
2. Sulentic should have been ejected prior to the brawl. The Ports’ right fielder verbally threatened Rodriguez while going to first base, then had to be restrained from going after the Nuts’ pitcher after reaching first. He continued to curse and gesture well after Rodriguez had left the scene. Granted, he was the player who was hit and had a right to be angry, but his displayed lack of emotional control at first base made him a powder keg, and the ground ball that followed provided him with the perfect opportunity to explode. Had Sulentic been ejected, there would not have been a brawl.
3. The only winners in all this? At every Nuts’ home game, fans are allowed to buy beer for $1 during the top of the fifth inning. Between the game action, the brawl and subsequent discussion, Saturday night’s top of the fifth lasted nearly 50 minutes.

TONIGHT -- Stockton at Modesto, 7:05 p.m. Righty Simon Ferrer (2-8, 5.96) will start for Modesto against Ports’ righty Trevor Cahill (5-3, 2.77.)