For the second game in their last four, the Quakes offense failed to show up when it was needed most. The defense and bullpen also had rough nights, ultimately culminating in the Quakes dropping the must-win Game-4 in the California League South Division Finals against the Lake Elsinore Storm (Padres) on Saturday night.

On paper, the series could have very easily gone the Quakes way as they came into the series with the best second-half record of the entire Cal League and had swept the Storm in their last meeting. However, nearly the complete opposite occurred in this best of five series.

In Game-1, the Quakes managed just three hits, despite excellent efforts from the pitching staff. In Game-2, the Quake offense came alive, but the bullpen had a rough time in the later innings. Game-3 saw the Quakes make a magical comeback after the score went back and forth a few times throughout the night. Back-to-back home runs in the bottom of the ninth kept the Quakes hopes alive, but Game-4 would prove to be their undoing.

Game-4 got off to a good start with Michael Grove taking the mound for the Quakes. He hit a batter and gave up a double, but center fielder and Dodgers 2017 first-round draft pick Jeren Kendall and second baseman Deacon Liput pooled their efforts to throw out a runner at home to end the first. Grove only ended up going two innings, giving up two hits and no runs. Jose Martinez took over for him in the third.

In the third, Martinez gave up a RBI single but really ran into trouble in the fifth. He recorded the first two outs of the inning easily but issued back-to-back walks before giving up four straight hits to give the Storm a 6-0 lead. In the bottom of the sixth, the Quakes had their second and third hits of the night, the latter of which scored the Quakes only two runs of the night. Kendall was not only a hero in the outfield, but he also drove in both of Rancho’s runs with a two-run home run to right.

Melvin Jimenez replaced Martinez in the eighth and had a quick and painless inning of relief. Connor Strain took over for Jimenez in the ninth and also had a rough outing. The first batter reached on an error, the Quakes second of the night. An out was recorded but two straight singles and another error put Elsinore up 7-2. Another out was recorded but a single and double gave the Storm a commanding and insurmountable 11-2 lead. Despite all of the runs that scored in the inning, Strain managed to strike out the side.

Unfortunately, the Quakes offense suffered the same fate in the bottom of the ninth, going down in order to end their season.

The Storm will take on the Visalia Rawhide (Diamondbacks) in a best of five series to determine the 2019 champions of the California League beginning on Tuesday evening.

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