After sweeping the Lake Elsinore Storm (Padres), the Quakes appeared to have an easy last four games of the regular season as they went up against the last place Inland Empire 66ers (Angels). However, the 66ers put up quite a fight, taking 3-of-4 from the second-half champ Quakes over Labor Day weekend. 

Game-1

The 66ers scored three early against Rancho starter John Rooney in the second with a single, double, and triple all driving in runs in that order. In the bottom of the third, first baseman Dillon Paulson drove in a run on a ground out to inch closer to the 66ers lead. However, they took the run right back in the top of the fourth. Rooney struck out two in the fifth, but gave up a single, ending his evening one out shy of five innings, his shortest start with Rancho all season. Melvin Jimenez took over and got the final out of the inning.

In the bottom of the fifth, left fielder Starling Heredia scored on a passed ball to cut the lead in half. Jimenez gave up a solo home run in the seventh before handing the ball over to Brett de Geus in the eighth. de Gues took the eighth and ninth, striking out five and walking one while giving up a base hit. Heredia got the Quakes back within two with a solo home run that left the park very quickly, but the rally was short-lived and the Quakes fell 5-3. Rooney took the loss, just his second of the season with Rancho.

Game-2

Inland Empire scored first with a solo home run off of Quake starter Austin Hamilton. The Quakes got the run back on a ground out by right fielder (and one-time relief pitcher) Brandon Montgomery, but a rough fourth inning would erase the tie. With two outs, Hamilton gave up back-to-back doubles that would drive in four runs altogether for the 66ers. Guillermo Zuniga went in for the final out and remained in for the next two innings as well. Zuniga walked one and struck out three before being replaced by Darien Nunez. Nunez had back-to-back 1-2-3 innings and was removed for the ninth. 

Austin Drury gave up a walk and a single in the ninth but got out of the jam. The Quakes offense was unable to rally, once again falling to the 66ers, 5-1. Hamilton took the loss, his fifth of the year.

Game-3

The Quakes scored first in this game thanks to a Paulson solo shot in the bottom of the second, but the lead wouldn’t last long, unfortunately. Rancho starter Andre Jackson gave up a run on an RBI double in the third. Jackson was replaced in the fourth by Wills Montgomerie who gave up two more RBI doubles in the fourth to put the 66ers up 3-1. In the bottom of the fifth Montgomery took advantage of a pick-off/caught stealing move and scored a run to put the Quakes down by just one. 

In the seventh, Montgomerie gave up a three-run home run to put Inland Empire up 6-2. Center fielder Brayan Morales drove in a run with a base hit in the bottom of the inning to once again cut the lead in half. Max Gamboa took over for Montgomerie in the eighth and had back-to-back 1-2-3 innings. However, because the Quakes bats were missing for the third night in a row, the Quakes fell 6-3. Montgomerie took the loss, his third. 

Game-4

The final game of the series, the 66ers once again scored first, this time off of Quake starter Jose Martinez. He gave up an RBI single in the first, but the Rancho offense took advantage of a two-out error and scored three runs to take the lead. Two runs scored on an RBI single from Paulson and he then scored on a base hit by right fielder Marcus Chiu. Martinez gave up another run in the second on an RBI single but otherwise kept the 66ers in check. Over his six innings of work, he gave up five hits and the two runs while walking two and striking out five. 

Connor Strain took over for Martinez in the top of the seventh and threw a 1-2-3 inning. Chiu stepped up to the plate once again in the bottom of the inning and hit a solo home run to left to give the Quakes some needed insurance. Strain gave up a two-out solo home run in the eighth, his one and only mistake of the game. Over his two innings of work, he gave up just the one hit/run and struck out four. 

Drury went out for the final inning, issuing a walk, but nothing more, giving the Quakes their one and only win of the series, but ending the regular season on a good note. Martinez earned the win in the 4-3 contest, his third, while Drury earned his first save. The Quakes finished the regular season with an 81-57 record.

Coming Up

The Quakes 2019 season continues as they begin the Cal League South Division Finals against the Lake Elsinore Storm on Wednesday, September 4. Games one and two of the series will be played at The Diamond in Lake Elsinore, while game three will be at LoanMart Field in Rancho Cucamonga. The first game in Rancho will take place Friday, Sept. 6 and features a Clayton Kershaw bobblehead for the first 1,500 fans in attendance. If necessary, games four and five will also be played at LoanMart Field.

Minor Leagues. Major Fun!

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