For the second time this season, the Quakes took on the Visalia Rawhide (Diamondbacks) in a three-game series, however, this series took place in Rancho Cucamonga instead of Visalia. The Quakes were coming off a loss against the Inland Empire 66ers (Angels) and looking to make some waves in the overall California League standings with this series. 

In game-1, the Rawhide took an early and commanding lead against Rancho right-hander Michael Grove, scoring four runs before the second out of the inning could be recorded. Once that second out was in the books and with Grove having already made 29 pitches, Quakes manager Mark Kertenian went to his bullpen to get the final out via left-hander Wes Helsabeck.

Quakes shortstop and highly touted Dodgers prospect Jeter Downs led off the bottom of the inning with a triple and was then driven in by third baseman Marcus Chiu, but Rancho wouldn’t score again until the sixth. 

Helsabeck pitched a clean second and was then removed in favor of rehabbing Dodgers left-hander Caleb Ferguson, who pitched a solid third.

Right-hander Wills Montgomerie took over for the fourth inning and had a rough go of things. Ultimately, errors, stolen bases, and well-timed hits against Montgomerie allowed the Rawhide to score three more runs in the inning, giving them a commanding 7-1 lead. In the sixth, the Quakes once again tried to fight back against the Rawhide’s overwhelming lead as back-to-back-to-back one out singles from the Quakes offense brought in a run.

The remainder of the game went quickly from there, as both bullpens were dominant for the final three innings. Rawhide starter Josh Green went six innings giving up the only two runs, earning him the win, while Grove took the loss. The loss against the Rawhide would be the first back-to-back losses for the Quakes since their home opening series against the Lancaster JetHawks, when they were swept over four games back in April.

Game-2 started in similar fashion, with recently promoted right-hander Josiah Gray getting the start for the Quakes. But he, too, was only able to go .2 innings, giving up three earned runs on three hits in his Advanced Single-A debut. Left-hander Logan Salow came on in relief of Gray and helped keep the Rawhide off the board in his two innings of work. Left-hander Victor Gonzalez replaced Salow with two outs in the third and stayed in for 4.1 innings, allowing no runs and only two hits.

The Quakes offense came alive in the bottom of the first as center fielder Brayan Morales reached on a single to center and was driven in on a Jeter Downs home run, his fifth of the season, to make it a 3-2 ballgame. Rancho tied the game in the fourth on a solo home run by right fielder Donovan Casey and then took the lead when 26-year-old Canadian-born catcher Jordan Procyshen, making his Quakes debut, hit a one-out single to score Quakes first baseman Nick Yarnall, who had reached on a bunt single and took second on a wild pitch.

In the seventh, Quakes designated hitter Starling Heredia added an insurance run with a homer to put the Quakes up 5-3. Right-hander Jordan Sheffield replaced Gonzalez on the mound and closed out the game, earning his seventh save of the year, while Gonzalez picked up his second win. 

Game-3 was the most complex game of the three. It was the rubber game of the series, meaning whoever won it would win the series. Left-hander Bryan Warzek got the start for the Quakes and overall turned in a decent outing. He went 3.1 innings and gave up two runs on just one hit, but even then, it wasn’t 100 percent all on him. Left-hander Justin Bruihl came in to relieve Warzek with runners on first and third and one out. Three singles later the Rawhide had a 4-0 lead. 

The Quakes tried to get a rally going in the fifth as Procyshen doubled and later scored on a sac fly by Morales, but that was all that would take place that inning. The Rawhide scored twice more in the sixth off of Quakes right-hander Connor Strain, who came in for Bruihl.

It was looking dismal for the Quakes, but in the bottom of the seventh, they continued to carryover their rally from the fifth, scoring an impressive six runs on six consecutive hits. The hits included a solo home run from Procyshen, an RBI double from Morales, and a two RBI triple from Casey. The Quakes then took a 7-6 lead thanks to a sac fly from Chiu.

Unfortunately, an error in the eighth eventually allowed the Rawhide to retie the game at seven.

And then the bottom fell out. 

In the top of the ninth, Quakes right-handed reliever Max Gamboa gave up four runs (three earned), all of which occurred after two more costly errors (they had four in the game) by the Quakes defense.

With their backs to the wall and trailing by four, Downs doubled in the bottom of the ninth, but the Rawhide’s second wind was too much for the Quake offense to handle, and they fell 11-7. Gamboa suffered the loss, with Rancho now at 22-15 on the season and Visalia improving to a Cal League-best 25-12.

The game-3 defeat handed the Quakes just their second series loss of the season. 

Lucky for Rancho, the Lancaster JetHawks (Rockies) also lost their final game of their series with the Modesto Nuts (Mariners), meaning they are still one game back of the Quakes in the California League South standings. 

The Quakes head up to Lancaster for a four-game series, where they have the chance to distance themselves from the JetHawks in the standings, which becomes more and more important the closer teams gets to the All-Star break in June, as the winners of each half automatically earns a first-round playoff berth.

As they say: “Minor Leagues, Major Fun!”

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