Inside The Shell -- Record crowd, big win

Modesto 4, Stockton 3. Game 130 of 140.

GAME IN A GRAF – Daniel Mayora’s single with one out in the ninth scored Michael McKenry from second base with the game-winner as the Nuts completed a three-game sweep of the Ports. Esmil Rogers had one of his best outings of the season, allowing one run on four hits with no walks and six strikeouts over seven innings, and left with a 3-1 lead. The Ports tied the game with two runs off Will Harris in the eighth, and David Patton entered to strike out California League home run champion Chris Carter. Patton then worked a scoreless ninth to get the win. Nick Haley had a two-run single in the second and Lino Garcia homered in the sixth for Modesto.

PACKED HOUSE -- Friday’s crowd of 4,959 was the largest in the history of Modesto minor league baseball, eclipsing the 4,853 in the park on May 10. It also was the ninth sellout of the season at John Thurman Field and put the Nuts within 3,546 fans of the all-time single-season attendance mark of 158,936 set last season.

Modesto has three home games remaining in the regular season, next Wednesday-Friday against North Division first-half champion San Jose.

JACKSON READY FOR FINAL SPRINT -- The good news for Anthony Jackson is that he’s hitting .444 over his last 10 games to raise his batting average to .294.

The bad news is that Jackson has played in only 10 games since July 21 as he battles a recurring problem with a sore hamstring.

“It’s hard not playing,” Jackson said Friday. “I’ve just been sitting there watching my team, knowing that I could try to help out if I were in there. I try to help out when I’m on the bench. But this is something all players have to go through, and I’m just glad I get to play tomorrow.”

That’s right, Jackson will be in the lineup when the Nuts open their three-game set at Lancaster on Saturday. He and the rest of the team are hoping Jackson’s legs will be ready to act as a major weapon by the time the postseason is here.

Because the Rockies’ organization tends to promote players between levels en masse at the start of each season, Jackson has had many of the same teammates since signing out of the University of the Pacific in 2006. In 2006, Tri-City missed the playoffs. In 2007, despite an 80-58 record, Asheville missed the playoffs.

“Last year we had a really good team and were right there all year but we didn’t make the playoffs,” Jackson said. “The year before that, it was most of the same guys we have here and we didn’t make it. I’m looking forward to making the playoffs with these guys.”

There are 10 games left in the regular season (nine if the Nuts don’t have to play the make-up game at Visalia on Sept. 2.) It’s been a long grind and every player on every team is tired. That’s why the reward that is a playoff berth is important.

“Knowing you’re close to the playoffs give you extra motivation,” Jackson said. “You’re playing for something, going for a championship and playing for a championship ring. Not many people get to do that. It gives you a little extra energy and a little more push. It makes you excited to get to the field.”

TONIGHT: Modesto at Lancaster, 7:05 p.m. Righty Aneury Rodriguez (8-10, 3.72) will go for the Nuts against JetHawks’ righty Chris Jones (7-8, 6.09.)