New year, same postseason results thus far for the Modesto Nuts, the Single-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners.

On Thursday night at a nearly sold-out John Thurman Field, the Nuts defeated the San Jose Giants by a 6-2 score to cap off a sweep of the 2024 California League North Division Series. They had won the first game of the best-of-three series 4-2 at Excite Ballpark in San Jose on Tuesday. A season ago, the Nuts also swept the Giants in the divisional round on their way to winning the California League Championship. 

“We worked as a team to get to this same point,” said Tai Peete, one of the few players who were a part of last year’s championship roster. “I think some of us knew how it felt last year, and we all wanted that again. Just being able to work back together, coming through as a team. I think it was all fun. We just gotta do it again.”

The Lake Elsinore Storm of the San Diego Padres organization clinched the South Division title Thursday and will host the Nuts for the first game of the best-of-three 2024 California League Championship Series on Sunday at 1:15 p.m. Game 2 will be played at John Thurman Field on Tuesday at 7:15 p.m. If necessary, Modesto will host Game 3 on Wednesday.

Peete, the 30th overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft and the 11th-ranked Mariners prospect by MLB Pipeline, gave the Nuts a 1-0 first inning lead when he tripled in Charlie Pagliarini. Pagliarini scored a single by Milkar Perez, who had a pair of hits and drove in three runs. Caslon Jones and Carter Dorighi each drove in a run.

“Charlie and Tai, they’ve been getting the full experience, tons of ABs. They've been able to get 400-plus ABs, both of them.” said second-year manager Zach Vincej. “I think, just for them, they’re growing as hitters and understanding what makes them really good and sticking with their plans… Tai and Pags,’ they've been able to commit to their plan and stick to it no matter what is going on, whether it's a bad result or a good result. When you can do that consistently over a period of time, chances are success is going to come your way eventually.”

Scoring a pair of runs for Modesto was Curtis Washington Jr., another returning member of last year’s title team. The speedy outfielder reached base twice with a single and a walk, and stole two bases. The Nuts stole five bases as a team Thursday, increasing their postseason total to eight. It’s par for the course, as they led the California League with 206 stolen bases during the regular season.

“We definitely want that back-to-back,” Washington said. “We just got to keep doing what we're doing, playing as a team, playing our roles, coming out and competing pitch by pitch, not trying to do too much and get outside of our player identity.”

Washington has been a fan favorite since his professional debut last year. He praised the fans at John Thurman Field while expressing gratitude that the team recently agreed to a short-term lease with the City of Modesto that would keep the team in town through the 2025 season 

“Nights like these are special. Modesto fans always bring the energy,” he said. “I'm loving that Modesto is going to be back for another season. I was bummed out that I heard that it was going to be no more, but then they came back out and said 2025, is going to be another season. So called for that. Like I said, once again with the fans. I love interacting with the fans.”

If the Nuts are to repeat as California League champions, it would be the 11th title won in the team’s history and the third as a Mariners affiliate.