On Sunday afternoon I was disappointed that both the Tulsa Drillers and Oklahoma City Dodgers were rained out. Both games were scheduled for a 3:05 PM start in my time zone, the Atlantic Standard Time Zone. I settled in waiting to follow each of the games on MiLB only to learn of the cancellations.

As Tommy Lasorda once said: “When one door closes another opens.” Tommy had it right as a quick check revealed the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes had an afternoon game which is convenient in my time zone. I tuned in on radio and picked up Mike Lindskog, the “Voice of the Quakes” and Director of Public Relations, now in his sixth season with Rancho Cucamonga.

After going quietly in the first inning against the San Diego Padres rehabbing right-hander Brandon Morrow, the Quakes took the field in the bottom of the inning looking to take the third game in a four game set with the Lake Elsinore Storm.

Right hander Trevor Oaks took the mound for the Quakes. The 23-year-old right-hander from nearby Riverside, California was selected by the Dodgers in the seventh-round of the 2014 MLB First Year Player Draft out of California Baptist University Riverside.

After struggling in the Quakes season opener on April 7 and a no-decision on April 12, 23-year-old Trevor Oaks was absolutely brilliant in his third start of the season on Sunday afternoon.
(Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

Oaks is coming off a very successful 2015 season in which he split his time between the Great Lakes Loons and Rancho Cucamonga Quakes. On the season he went 8-5 with a 2.65 ERA and 1.04 WHIP while striking out 74 and walking 19 in 125.2 innings.

On his very pitch of the Sunday afternoon game Oaks gave up a single to Storm center fielder Franchy Cordero. Following that hit he then retired 17 straight Storm hitters including seven by strike outs and eight by ground balls. His streak was broken in the sixth inning with a scratch infield hit by Cordero who also had the Storm’s first hit of the game. Oaks then finished off the sixth inning with another infield out.

Storm’s Brandon Morrow was also pitching well through five innings having given up only one run on a home run by Quakes’ left fielder Johan Mieses in the second inning.

Going into the sixth inning the game was but one hour old. However, the Quakes slowed things down in the top of the sixth inning with a walk and four hits scoring four runs to take a 5-0 lead. The decisive blow was a bases loaded triple by center fielder and top Cuban prospect Yusniel Diaz that plated three runs.

In the bottom of the seventh inning Oaks appeared to be tiring, as he gave up a lead off double to top Padres prospect shortstop Javier Guerra who advanced to third base on a wild pitch. With none out and a runner on third base Oaks calmly struck out the next two Storm hitters and induced a fly out to get out of the inning unscathed. Through seven innings he had thrown 75 pitches, 60 of them for strikes. Of the 24 hitters he faced in his seven innings Oaks greeted 20 of them with first-pitch strikes.

The Quakes tacked on another run to take a 6-1 lead in the top of the eighth inning on a walk, a wild pitch, an infield out and a sacrifice fly by Yusniel Diaz for his fourth run batted in on the day.

Even with the low pitch count it was a bit surprising that Oaks came out to face the Storm in the eighth inning. First baseman Trae Santos, the first hitter he faced in the inning, lined a triple off the center field fence. Santos scored on a single by Chase Jensen. However, Oaks limited the damage by striking out his 10th Storm batter and then inducing an inning-ending double play.

Oaks did not come out for the ninth inning. His day was complete after eight innings giving up one run on five hits while walking none and striking out 10. He threw 86 pitches, 70 of them for strikes.

Reliever Karch Kowalczyk came out to pitch the ninth inning. He allowed a home run to Javier Guerra but was able to shut down the Storm after that lone run. He finished off the inning by striking out Edwin Moreno, saddling him with the “golden sombrero” on the day.

Oaks arguably had the best day of his career in which he was absolutely dominant – especially through his first seven innings. With Sunday’s win the Quakes came away taking three out of four from the Storm at The Diamond in Lake Elsinore.