Modesto Nuts seal first playoff win since 2017 with walk-off hit against San Jose Giants

In the postseason, the cheers are louder, runs are hard to come by and the stakes are supposed to be higher. If that is the case, someone should tell Colt Emerson.

The Mariners’ No. 4 prospect in his first few weeks in Modesto worked his final at bat in Game 1 of the California League North Division playoffs against the San Jose Giants like a seasoned pro. He took pitches outside the zone and fouled off what he didn’t like until he got what he was looking for.

In a 5-5 tie with a full count and the bases loaded in the bottom of the 10th inning, Emerson lined a pitch over the center fielder’s head, scoring RJ Schreck, who was hit by a pitch earlier in the inning. The hit sealed the walk-off win and a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three series.

“When you get two strikes, the approach doesn’t change,” said the 18-year-old shortstop, who was the Mariners’ first pick in the 2023 MLB Draft out of Glenn High School in Ohio. “I was trying to hit the ball over the shortstop’s head. With two strikes, you put the bat on the ball and put it in play, and luckily, it happened to go over the center fielder’s head. I got the pitch I wanted and I worked with it.”

Modesto fell behind in the fourth, fifth and eighth innings. Each time, they slowly chipped away at San Jose’s lead.

The Nuts answered a pair of Giants’ runs in the fourth with a Tatem Levins sacrifice fly in the bottom of the inning to cut the lead to 2-1. After the Giants scored another run in the top of the fifth, Jonny Farmelo singled, Emerson walked and Lazaro Montes was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Designated hitter Tai Peete drove in a run on a fielder’s choice and, later in the inning, Luis Suisbel tied the game with a sacrifice fly.

The game remained tied until San Jose scored a pair of runs in the top of the eighth to take a 5-3 lead. From that point, Nuts pitchers held the Giants scoreless and the offense scored in the bottom of the eighth, ninth and 10th innings to secure the win.

Montes gave the team all the momentum it needed in the late innings. The 18-year-old right fielder from Havana, Cuba sent the game-tying solo home run over the center field wall in the bottom of the ninth inning and then contributed to an inning-ending double play in the top of the 10th.

The Nuts feel like they are never out of a game, largely because of the philosophy first-year Modesto manager Zach Vincej preaches every day.

“We talk all the time about trying to put team at bats together,” Vincej said when addressing the media postgame. “We always say nine-on-one, every single hitter against one pitcher. … It’s everyone trying to put together good ABs, pass the baton to the next guy and keep the train rolling. They’ve bought into that and this is what happens late in games when you have that mentality. I’m just super proud of them and they’re never out of the fight, which is so exciting.”

New kids are contributing

Players constantly move up and down the minor league ranks and the Nuts’ 2023 playoff roster includes 11 members of the Mariners’ 2023 draft class.

Players drafted this year spent the first part of their professional careers in the Arizona Complex League playing for the Mariners’ rookie ball affiliate. The call-ups got to Modesto at the end of August – just in time to help spearhead Modesto’s 16-game winning streak.

Every player is learning how to be a pro on the fly, and figuring out how to win at the pro level can be a daunting task for some. What helps is the camaraderie in the clubhouse. Older guys have welcomed the new draft class with open arms and their production has shown on the field.

Just days after being called up, Peete hit a grand slam in consecutive innings for his first two home runs in late August. Emerson sealed a playoff victory with a walk-off hit, and the Mariners’ No. 29 draft pick, Jonny Farmelo, made his professional debut Tuesday in center field. He went 2-for-6 with a triple and an RBI.

“It’s a really family-oriented place here, the whole organization is,” Emerson said. It’s pretty easy to come in and say what’s up to everyone or ‘¿Què lo que, papi?’ to all the Latin guys and blend in really well.”

Win and you’re in

In the second half of the season, the Nuts found themselves in a “win and you’re in” situation. With about a month and a half left in the regular season, Modesto was three games back from securing its first trip to the postseason since 2017. The team responded by powering through the back of its schedule, going on a 16-game win streak from Aug. 20 to Sept. 7 to put itself in striking distance. The Nuts clinched a playoff spot Saturday, Sept. 9, with a 17-2 win over the Fresno Grizzlies.

The winning streak was the longest of any team in the California League this season, and the longest for a Modesto team since at least 2004. Game-by-game results date back only to the 2005 season.

“I don’t even think I’ve won 10 games in a row,” Peete said when speaking with the media before Tuesday’s game. “It was pretty cool to be a part of. Halfway through, we weren’t even thinking about it anymore. I was just going out there and playing. It’s cool winning games, especially all the games that we were here.”

What’s next

The Nuts look to advance to the California League Championship series Thursday in San Jose. After Tuesday’s meeting, Modesto is 17-14 this season against San Jose.

Prior to their Tuesday night matchup, the Nuts and the San Francisco Giants affiliate met in a 6-game series at the end of August at Excite Ballpark in San Jose. The Nuts swept the Giants on the road.

If the Nuts beat the Giants, they advance to the California League Championship series — a best-of-3 series from Sept. 17-20. It will be the first time also since 2017 that they made it to the California League Championship. That season they swept the Lancaster JetHawks in the team’s first season as a Seattle Mariners affiliate. The 2017 title was Modesto’s first since 2004, when the team was the High-A affiliate of the Oakland A’s.

“Right now, it’s one game at a time, one pitch at a time, and we’re going out there and competing,” Emerson said. “We’re staying within ourselves, not making things bigger than what they are. Having an approach like that, you’re going to win a lot of games.”