After being swept by the Lancaster JetHawks (Rockies) in their opening homestand of the 2019 season, the Dodgers Advanced Single-A affiliate Rancho Cucamonga Quakes took two of three from the San Jose Giants (Giants) at LoanMart Field this past weekend in their second homestand of the young season.

Quakes shortstop and highly-touted Dodgers seventh overall ranked prospect Jeter Downs got the party started in game-1 of the brief three-game homestand with a powerful punch, knocking a grand slam over the left field wall at the Epicenter in the second inning. The Giants fought back with two runs of their own in the third off of Quakes right-hander Michael Grove, but neither team would score again until the seventh inning. San Jose scored on a sac fly off of Quakes right-hander Wills Montgomerie, the eventual game winner, but the Quakes quickly padded their lead in the eighth. Left fielder Starling Heredia got the second phase of the scoring started when he touched home on a wild pitch after reaching on a double. Two batters later, center fielder Brayan Morales drove in Rancho first baseman Nick Yarnall, who had walked. Downs then added to his RBI count for the night, driving Morales in on a sac fly. Right-hander Max Gamboa closed the game out for the Quakes, allowing a hit in the ninth, but proceeding to strike out the side to give the Quakes their first home win of the season. 

The Giants took an early lead in game-2, scoring three runs off of Quakes left-hander Victor Gonzalez in the second inning. But the Quakes answered back quickly when right fielder Carlos Rincon started off the bottom of the inning with a double and was later driven in by Heredia. They then pulled to within one in the next inning when Downs drove in third baseman Brandon Montgomery on a double. Downs attempted to make it to third, but was thrown out by the right fielder with help from the first baseman who got the ball to third in time for the out. The Giants scored again in the sixth off of right-hander Ryan Moseley and twice more off of left-hander Logan Salow and right-hander Elio Serrano in the ninth. Rincon tried to start a rally, hitting a solo home run in the bottom of the ninth, but the Quakes went down quietly after that. Although the Quakes lost 6-3, Salow threw an extremely rare immaculate inning in the seventh, meaning that he not only stuck out the side, but did so on nine pitches; three strikes per batter. 

The third and final game broke an all-time Quakes record, but it also took a toll on this baseball fan. I had developed a cold (or severe allergy) that I thought would keep me away from the stadium, but I was bound and determined to see the Quakes play their final home game for a week. I also had yet to personally see the team win a game. 

For the third and final game of the homestand, the Quakes sported green “Tremor” jerseys which were later auctioned off to raise funds for the California Earthquake Authority. The Giants again took an early 1-0 lead against right-hander Edwin Uceta in the top of the first, but doubles from designated hitter Donovan Casey and second baseman Devin Mann quickly put the Quakes on top in the bottom of the first, 2-1. San Jose retook the lead in the top of the fourth, scoring two runs, one off of Uceta and one off of left-hander Wes Helsabeck respectively. However, Rancho would tack on three in the bottom of the fourth courtesy of base hits from Montgomery and Morales and a Giants error. The Giants scored just one more time on a balk by Helsabeck, but the Quakes took the reins from there. In the bottom of the sixth, Morales recorded his second triple of the season to drive in the Quakes sixth run of the night. The beratement continued as Quakes newcomer Drew Avans collected his first hit in a Quakes uniform – albeit a green one – with a two-run double in the seventh inning. Morales and Downs also drove in runs to give Rancho a commanding 10-4 lead at the end of seven.

I need to point out that at this point, the game had been going for over three hours and was rapidly approaching the four-hour mark. For the final run of the game, Quakes catcher Tre Todd hit a sacrifice fly to left to drive in Rincon. The top of ninth took some time to get through, but the game finally – and mercifully – ended after four hours and 12 minutes, a new Quakes record for a nine-inning game. Helsabeck earned the win in the 11-4 contest and I got to see my first Quakes win of the year.

With Monday’s off day, the Quakes find themselves atop the Cal League South standings with a 10-7 record and a precarious one game lead over the Lake Elsinore Storm (Padres) as they head out on the road for their next seven games. They will play four in San Bernardino against the Inland Empire 66ers (Angels) and then three up north in Modesto against the Nuts (Mariners). They then return home on Monday, April 29 to begin a four-game series with the (current) Cal League South second place Storm.

As they say: “Minor Leagues – Major fun.”

    *    *    *    *    *