Nuts seal first California League title since 2017 with road win in Rancho Cucamonga
For the first time since 2017, the Modesto Nuts can call themselves champions.
The Nuts, Single-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners, captured the California League championship with a 14-8 road win over the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes on Tuesday, Sept. 19.
Modesto scored four runs in the second inning to take an early lead, which it surrendered in the bottom half of the fifth. The Nuts scored three runs in the sixth inning, one in the seventh and three more in the eighth to storm back, take the lead and secure the title. While the offense scored, the defense was nails, keeping Rancho Cucamonga off the board in the final four innings.
Your 2023 CALIFORNIA LEAGUE CHAMPIONS#gonuts #seausgrow pic.twitter.com/8eEbOIe96d
— Modesto Nuts (@ModestoNuts) September 20, 2023
Seattle Mariners No. 4 prospect Colt Emmerson led the Nuts offense. The infielder tallied four hits, three singles and one double, drove in four runs and scored a pair of runs. Mariners No. 5 prospect Michael Arroyo had three hits with a triple, scored three runs and had two RBIs. Tatem Levins, RJ Schreck, Brock Rodden and Luis Suisbel each had a pair of hits.
The Nuts held a 7-3 lead after the top of the fifth, but allowed five runs in the bottom of the inning and entered the sixth trailing 8-7. A two-RBI triple by Arroyo in the sixth put Modesto ahead 9-8 and a Levins RBI single gave it a 10-8 advantage. Suisbel, Emerson, Mariners No. 12 prospect Lazaro Montes and No. 10 prospect Tai Peete each had late-innings RBIs.
Mid 6:
The Nuts retake the lead!!!
Michael Arroyo 2-run triple and Tatem Levins followed with an rbi single!
Shaddon Peavyhouse now in to pitch.
Nuts - 10
Quakes-8 pic.twitter.com/MoBOSCHmGV— Modesto Nuts (@ModestoNuts) September 20, 2023
Relief pitchers Shaddon Peavyhouse, Holden Laws and Natanael Garabitos were brilliant in the sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth innings. They combined to allow just one hit and one walk. Laws finished with three strikeouts.
A 16-game winning streak late in the season put the Nuts in position to secure a playoff spot after an up and down start to the year. The Nuts clinched a playoff spot Saturday, Sept. 9, with a 17-2 win over the Fresno Grizzlies.
They swept the San Jose Giants in the California League North Championship Series. In the series opener, the Nuts won their first postseason game since 2017 with a walk-off hit by Emmerson.
They opened the California League Championship series at John Thurman Field Sunday, Sept. 17, in front of a crowd of 3,573. They beat the Quakes 9-2, scoring all nine runs in an exciting fifth inning.
