Once they got a break, the Stockton Aztecs broke loose.

The Aztecs took advantage of a controversial call on a ball hit near the third-base line to rally past the Patterson Pirates 4-3 on Sunday, Aug. 23, at Garza Park.

For Patterson (11-6), the loss prolongs a season-long skid. The Pirates — in dire need of offensive support — have now lost four of their last five.

“I hate to sound like a broken record, but right now, we’re not hitting the ball,” Patterson player-coach Jose Garza said. “There are too many guys on this team going through slumps.”

Patterson starter James Pease owned the Aztecs in the Pirates’ 5-1 win on June 21. In the midst of a season-best nine-game winning streak, Pease pitched a five-hitter, striking out six and walking one in his first complete game of the season.

While Pease’s performance on Sunday resembled his first outing against the Aztecs — he allowed just two runs in seven innings of work — the rest of the team wasn’t up to the challenge.

“Our pitching has been there all season,” Garza said. “It’s our hitting that isn’t coming through for us in these close games.”

With the Pirates leading 1-0 in the top of the third, a Stockton batter swatted a Pease offering down the third-base line. According to Garza, who was playing third base at the time, the grounder skirted into foul territory. The home plate umpire saw things differently, however, motioning that the ball was fair. The call resulted in a two-run swing in favor of the Aztecs.

“I think that we lost mostly because of that blown call,” Garza said. “I really don’t know what (the umpire) saw on that play. It looked at least four feet foul to me.”

Stockton eventually added to its lead, taking a 4-1 advantage into the game’s final innings. Patterson would respond with RBI hits from Beto Rodriguez and Tyler Tresenrider, but it would not be enough.

With just two games remaining in the regular season, Patterson hopes to right their ship in time for the playoffs. The Pirates, despite their lackluster play of late, clinched a spot in the postseason more than a month ago.

“We can’t go into the playoffs slumping,” Garza said. “This is a tough league, so we need to be ready to play once (the postseason) starts up.

“We’ll be taking some extra batting practice, and hopefully we can start swinging the bat the way we know how.”

The Pirates host the Stockton Astros in their final home game of the season on Sunday, Aug. 30, at Garza Park. The game is slated for an 11 a.m. start.