Wicked Bounces Bounce Blaze, 3-1
July 31, 2014 - California League (CalL1)
Bakersfield Blaze News Release
A bad-hop grounder and a bad-hop near-wild-pitch left the Bakersfield Blaze speechless and helped lift the host Rancho Cucamonga Quakes to a 3-1 win in the opener of a four-game series on the road in southern California.
For the fourth straight evening, the Blaze opposition struck first, as Rancho came up with a run in the bottom of the 1st on three hits and a walk off Ismael Guillon. The inning could have been much worse, though, as with two outs, Jeff Gelalich fired a strike to the plate to cut down Chris Jacobs.
The Blaze got even in the 4th when Sean Buckley hit a 400-foot liner that nearly punched a hole in the signage beyond the left field fence.
But Bakersfield missed a big chance in the 5th, failing to plate the go-ahead run despite putting men at second and third with nobody out. Tom Windle (W, 10-6), the Quakes starter and Dodgers second round pick, wiggled out of it.
Turnabout, though, was fair play, as the Quakes put runners at second and third with one out in the 6th thanks to a hit and a critical fielding mistake. But Guillon struck out two in a row to give him a personal best eight strikeouts over 6.0 innings of work, and the game remained deadlocked a bit longer.
In the 7th, though, for the second straight game, a funky hop doomed the Blaze, and reliever Brian Pearl (L, 0-1). In a remarkable turn, the Blaze went into the 7th inning in a 1-1 tie two nights in a row, and two nights in a row the team came one normal bounce away from taking it tied to the 8th. But fortunes conspired, and Rancho plated two runs thanks in part to a sideways kick, and Aaron Miller drove in his second and third runs of the game to put the home team ahead 3-1.
Geoff Brown and Rob Rogers (S, 8) worked the final two innings, though not without event. In the 9th, the world found a new way to break Bakersfield's heart. With two outs, an error and a walk put two Blaze aboard, and Sebastian Elizalde came up to pinch-hit. The first pitch of the at-bat from Rogers bounced and kicked past the Quakes catcher, seemingly moving the Blaze into scoring position.
In a freak bounce (another), the ball caught home plate umpire Lewis Williams in the hip, bounced right back to Quakes catcher Kyle Farmer, and he fired to third to nab Juan Perez and end the game.
A night of poor fortune, indeed. The Blaze fell 3-1.
The series with the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes continues throughout the weekend, with the Friday night game designated, as always, our Game of the Week. Sean Lucas will make the spot start for Bakersfield, and Chris Anderson will go for the Quakes in a 7:05pm start from LoanMart Field.
Fans can listen to the Game of the Week live on internet and radio, as Dan Besbris brings the call five minutes prior to first pitch. Internet listeners are encouraged to head to BakersfieldBlaze.com for the stream and SmartTalk AM-1230 for the local radio broadcast.
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California League Stories from July 31, 2014
- Wicked Bounces Bounce Blaze, 3-1 - Bakersfield Blaze
- San Jose Giants on Deck: Giants Host Stockton in Pivotal Four-Game Series - San Jose Giants
- Homestand Preview - Lancaster JetHawks
- Stockton Scores Second Straight 7-6 Win - Stockton Ports
- Healy's Slam Helps Ports to Series Sweep - Stockton Ports
- Giants Complete Sweep of Nuts with 8-4 Victory - San Jose Giants
- Rawhide Pick on Pen, Blaze - Bakersfield Blaze
- Quality Westwood Leads to Sweep of Mavs - Lancaster JetHawks
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