For the third time in as many series, the Dodgers Advanced Single-A affiliate Rancho Cucamonga Quakes failed to sweep their opposition. However, the important thing is that they won all three series to remain atop the California League South Division standings with a solid 19-12 (.613) record and a 3.0-game lead over the Lancaster JetHawks (Rockies), with only the Visalia Rawhide (Diamondbacks) boasting a better record of 22-9 (.710) in the Cal League North Division.

For this series, the Quakes headed north to San Jose, where they took on the San Jose Giants (Giants).

In the first game of the three-game series, the Quakes took an early lead against San Jose right-hander Matt Frisbee. Quakes center fielder Donovan Casey got things started in the top of the second inning with a solo home run to left field for his first of the season. Second baseman Devin Mann added on another with an RBI double in the third, which was quickly followed by an RBI ground out by catcher Connor Wong. Designated hitter Carlos Rincon capped Rancho’s scoring in the frame with a two-run shot to left-center, his fifth home run of the season.

The four runs in that inning were enough to chase Frisbee, which brought in right-hander Carlos Sano to pitch the top of the fourth inning. Quake left-hander Leo Crawford, on the other hand, gave up only four hits over his three innings of work, while striking out four.

Sano had about as much luck with the Quakes offense as did Frisbee, as Mann and Wong both took him deep to left-center with a three-run and solo shot respectively, making the score 9-0. Sano was removed three batters later in favor of right-hander Trevor Horn, who was able to finish the inning without further damage. Horn pitched a clean fifth, but Casey was able to tag him with a run in the sixth on a sacrifice fly.

Quakes left-hander Connor Mitchell took over for Crawford in the fourth and pitched two clean frames in the fourth and fifth, but things got a little messy in the sixth. The first batter of the inning, Giants shortstop Manuel Geraldo, reached on a fielding error by Quakes’ third baseman, Marcus Chiu. He eventually scored on a base hit which was immediately followed by a two-run single, shifting the score to 10-3 in favor of Rancho. 

It would stay that way, as Quakes left-hander Justin Bruihl would finish out the inning and the next two without allowing a base runner. 

Quakes left-hander Wes Helsabeck came in to close things out in the ninth, and although he gave up two hits and a walk, he was able to get himself out of a bases loaded jam, to give the Quakes their 18th win of the season. In doing so, Mitchell picked up his first win of the season (1-0), while Frisbee fell to 0-2. 

Rancho’s bats were alive and well again in game-2 although the Giants got on the board first, oddly enough, without the aid of a hit. Right-hander Wills Montgomerie got the start for the Quakes, his first of the season, although he’s already proven himself to be an effective reliever over multiple innings of work per game, having gone 4+ innings in four of his five outings thus far this season. ‘Monty,’ as he is called by his teammates, walked the first batter he faced, Kyle McPherson, who then stole second, moved to third on a ground out to second, and then stole home on a double steal. Montgomerie, however, would not give up a hit or another run over his impressive 4.2 innings of work.

The Quakes took the run back – and then some – in the second on a two-run shot to left by left fielder Starling Heredia. Dodgers highly-touted shortstop prospect Jeter Downs would follow suit in the third with his own two-run blast to left. Third baseman Brandon Montgomery (nicknamed ‘BMont’ to avoid the obvious confusion) tacked on one more run for good measure in the fourth with a sac fly. Left-hander Logan Salow came in to pitch the fifth and went 1.1 innings without giving up a hit. Downs smashed his second homer of the night in the seventh, while Chiu drove in Casey, to make it 7-1 in favor of the Quakes.

Rehabbing Dodgers left-hander Tony Cingrani kept the San Jose bats quiet during his one inning of relief in the bottom of the seventh inning. Left-hander Austin Hamilton came on for Cingrani to start the eighth and things immediately took a turn. Hamilton gave up a hit to Logan Baldwin, the first batter he faced, to break up the Quakes combined no-hitter. Baldwin later scored and a bases loaded hit-by-pitch would drive in another run. Hamilton then quickly got the final two outs of the inning, as well as three more in the ninth to secure the 7-3 win.

Salow’s record improved to 2-0, while San Jose starter Aaron Phillips took the loss, moving to 0-4 on the season.

In game-3, the Quakes bats just weren’t up to the task against San Jose right-handed starting pitcher, DJ Myers, who ended up going five strong innings. Myers kept the Quakes off the board and hitless through two inning before giving up a solo home run to ‘BMont.’ The early shot made it look like this game would be a repeat of the first two, but for the Giants, the third time was the charm and the missing element to shut down the Quakes offense. 

Quakes left-handed starter Victor Gonzalez was holding his own through 2.1 innings as well, but a sacrifice bunt drove in the Giants first run to tie the game. Both teams were quiet over the next few innings, as Myers continued to hold the Quakes to just about the bare minimum. He went five innings and gave up just three hits and the one run, while walking two and striking out six.

Gonzalez began the fifth inning in good shape, but Quakes manager Mark Kertenian elected to replace him with right-hander Ryan Moseley after just one batter. Overall, Gonzalez’s start was impressive, going 4.1 innings and allowing only the one run, while walking just one and striking out five. Moseley recorded a quick out before the proverbial wheels fell off the bus. A barrage of walks, an error, and a wild pitch wreaked havoc, putting the Giants up 3-1. 

The Quakes got one back in the sixth on a sacrifice fly by first baseman Nick Yarnall off of Giants right-hander Camilo Doval to pull within one, but once Giants right-hander Carlos Sano entered the game with two outs in the top of the sixth inning, it was all downhill for San Jose. 

Quakes right-hander Max Gamboa came in to pitch the sixth and gave up a home run to McPherson to seal Rancho’s fate. The Quakes went down quietly in the eighth and ninth innings, falling to the Giants for just the second time this season. 

The Rancho squad returns home to LoanMart Field for a much-needed off day on Monday before beginning a six-game homestead on Tuesday, evening, May 7, with a three-game set against the Inland Empire 66ers (Angels) and three against the Visalia Rawhide (Diamondbacks). Game-day promotions include Recycle Tuesday (bring in 10 recyclables for one club level ticket), Education Day on Wednesday (with a 10:35 am start), and Thirsty Thursday, which features $2 Pepsi products, $3 domestic drafts, and $4 premium drafts, wine and margaritas.

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

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