After taking three of four from the Inland Empire 66ers (Angels), the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes continued their seven game homestand with a three-game series against the Lancaster JetHawks (Rockies). It did not go well.

Game-1

Dodgers catcher Austin Barnes joined the Quakes for two rehab games as he worked his way back from a strained left groin strain suffered on May 26 in Pittsburgh. He batted second in the Quakes line-up and caught for right-handed starter Josiah Gray. 

“Josiah threw the ball really well, I thought he was really impressive,” said Barnes. “Some of those fastballs, it’s got that life and that up-shoot, kind of arm-side. At the beginning he was throwing that really well and he was striking his off-speed pitches. I think that kid’s got a bright future.”

Gray struck out the side to start the game and the Quake offense took things from there, as shortstop Jeter Downs and third baseman Devin Mann hit back-to-back home runs in the bottom of the first.

“Jeter Downs was smacking the ball behind me today,” said Barnes. “A lot of the kids put a lot of good swings on it today. It’s a good group, a real good group. A real fun group.”

In the top of third, Gray gave up a two-run homer to JetHawks second baseman, Carlos Herrera, which tied the game at two.

However, a Barnes single drove in designated hitter Donovan Casey, who reached on a triple, to untie the game. Barnes was then driven in on a double by Downs, who scored on an RBI single from Mann.

The scoring continued into the fourth with a sacrifice fly by first baseman Nick Yarnall and a balk with left fielder Drew Avans on third base to put the Quakes up 7-2.

Gray’s night was done after five innings of work in which he gave up two runs on just three hits. He walked one and struck out six before giving way to righty Melvin Jimenez. 

Jimenez gave up a two-out RBI single and two walks over his 1.2 innings, but he also struck out three before handing the ball over to lefty Wes Helsabeck in the last of the seventh. 

Helsabeck had a clean eighth thanks to a rare 1-5-3 double play and left-hander Logan Salow finished out the game in the ninth, keeping the Quakes 7-3 win intact. 

Gray earned his second Rancho win of the year and the Quakes moved to 34-22.  

Game-2

Right-handed Quakes newcomer Andre Jackson made his debut in the hitter-friendly California League in game-two of the three-game series, having been promoted from the Low Single-A Great Lakes Loons earlier in the week. The 23-year-old Vail, AZ native held his own, despite giving up a home run to Herrera in the first and an RBI single in the fourth. During his six innings, Jackson gave up just four hits and the two runs, while walking two and striking out nine.

Jackson also picked off a base runner and had three 1-2-3 innings. Barnes caught for him through all six and threw out a would-be base stealer in the top of the second inning. 

Righty Connor Strain took over for Jackson in the seventh and had a 1-2-3 inning.

Offensively, the Quakes had a pretty rough night, putting up just four hits, one of them being a home run by second baseman Connor Wong in the seventh, the only run of the game for Rancho. Barnes, Avans, and Mann had the only other hits, all singles. 

Sven Schueller, another right hander, took over in the eighth and Quakes catcher Tre Todd took over for Barnes. Schueller had a clean inning as well and handed the ball over to lefty Bryan Warzek for the ninth. Warzek gave up two hits, one being a home run to put the JetHawks up 3-1 for good.

Jackson took the loss, although it was a great start for him in both length and outcome. Had the offense kicked in against Lancaster’s pitching, perhaps it could have been a win, but at least we know what Jackson is capable of. 

Game-3

The Quakes played as Los Temblores de Rancho Cucamonga while Lancaster was El Viento de Lancaster or the Wind of Lancaster. Right hander Gerardo Carrillo got the start for Rancho, and the wheels came off the bus in a hurry for the 20-year-old Guadalajara, Mexico native. Carrillo gave up a run on a sacrifice fly in the first and five runs on three RBI doubles in the third. He was removed with two outs, giving way to Jimenez. The 19-year-old Santiago, Dominican Republic native gave up a solo home run in the fourth, but aside from that, he had relatively clean fourth and fifth innings. 

Lefty Connor Mitchell pitched the next three innings, giving up a home run to Herrera yet again. 

In the bottom of the eighth, Mann hit a two-run home run to try and close the gap of Lancaster’s 9-0 lead. He also drove in a run in the bottom of the ninth with a single, but that was all the Quakes would get, as they fell 9-3. Carrillo suffered the loss, his fourth of the year. 

The Quakes head down the I-215 to San Bernardino, where they will take on the 66ers in a rare five-game series, hoping to create some distance between themselves and the Lake Elsinore Storm (Padres) and JetHawks, who are tied for second place in the Cal League South 5.0 games behind Rancho Cucamonga.

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