Blaze Drop Slugfest on Late Quakes Surge
Published on May 5, 2016 under California League (CalL1)
Bakersfield Blaze News Release
An afternoon of baseball turned into a wild back-and-forth slugfest on Wednesday in Rancho Cucamonga, with the host Quakes ultimately prevailing over the Bakersfield Blaze, 12-10.
An early start proved to be more of a detriment to pitchers right from the outset.
Grant Holmes, the Quakes starter and top-5 Dodgers prospect gave up a run in the 1st on the first of three RBI singles for Jay Baum (who ended the day driving in four total runs), but the early Blaze damage came in the 2nd. The club batted around, with birthday boy Chantz Mack providing a two-run double to cap a five-run inning, and Bakersfield led 6-0.
On this day, however, six runs would be but half of what was necessary. Anthony Misiewicz was clean for two innings, but the Quakes got to Bakersfield's starter for two in the 3rd and three more in the 4th, trimming the Blaze lead to just 6-5.
Bakersfield was able to tack on a pair in the middle innings against the Quakes pen, and briefly it seemed as though the Blaze might have enough to hold on.
After Misiewicz's departure, though, the wheels came off. A struggling Blaze bullpen turned to its newest member, Osmer Morales (L, 0-1), whose Blaze debut could not have gone much worse. Morales faced five batters and did not retire a single one, giving up four runs before leaving, and Aaron Brooks was summoned to stop the bleeding, though the Blaze were already trailing. Brooks gave up a two-run homer before tidying up the mess, and the Blaze early six run lead was suddenly a late four-run hole.
The Blaze got two runs closer in the 8th off of Luis De Paula (W, 2-1), but could not quite come all the way back, as Karch Kowalczyk (S, 2) turned in five-out save to stave off the Bako boys.
For the Blaze, the story was all too similar, with the team blowing a lead in the final three innings for the second game in a row, and the club fell to just 3-for-12 in late-game save chances.
Trying to avoid the sweep, the Blaze turn to Tyler Herb on Thursday in a 7:05pm start, the final game of the season's longest road trip before the team comes home on Friday.
Dan Besbris has the call at BakersfieldBlaze.com and via TuneIn Radio.
California League Stories from May 5, 2016
- Bats Breakout out Behind French in 8-0 Win - Modesto Nuts
- Mavericks Travis Demeritte Earns California League Player of the Month - High Desert Mavericks
- Mike Candela Named New Blaze General Manager - Bakersfield Blaze
- Ports Bats Silenced in 4-1 Loss to Giants - Stockton Ports
- Giants Win Third Straight in Stockton, 4-1 - San Jose Giants
- Blaze Drop Slugfest on Late Quakes Surge - Bakersfield Blaze
- Nuts Fail to Seize Early Chances in 4-2 Loss - Modesto Nuts
- Three Lancaster pitchers combine to strike out 10 Inland Empire 66ers - Lancaster JetHawks
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