CalL1 Rancho Cucamonga Quakes

Colon Sharp as Quakes Avoid Sweep 7-1

Published on June 1, 2006 under California League (CalL1)
Rancho Cucamonga Quakes News Release


RANCHO CUCAMONGA-Bartolo Colon threw four scoreless innings in his return from right shoulder inflammation and every Quakes starter had at least one hit as Rancho Cucamonga rolled to a 7-1 win over Lancaster before 4,336 fans at the Epicenter Thursday. The win snapped a four-game losing streak for the Quakes and evened their record at 27-27, while Lancaster's season-high seven-game winning streak game to an end and dropped the JetHawks to 24-30.

Colon, the reigning American League Cy Young winner, threw 47 pitches and allowed two hits and a walk while striking out three. He threw mostly fastballs and sat consistently between 88 and 92 miles per hour, and reported no problems.

"The arm is not bothering me at all so I just want to take it easy and hopefully the injury won't come back," Colon said through a translator. "The strength is coming little by little and I feel a lot better."

The Quakes never trailed, picking up two early runs in the bottom of the third. Cody Fuller and Nate Sutton led off with back-to-back singles, and a sacrifice bunt by Ryan Leahy advanced both men into scoring position. Sean Rodriguez then laced a two-run double down the left field line to put Rancho Cucamonga up 2-0.

Scheduled starter Fernando Rodriguez relieved Colon in the fifth and worked out of a first-and-third, one-out jam before the Quakes broke the game open in the sixth. Lefty Jared Doyle was in his first inning of relief for Lancaster and got Michael Collins to fly out to start the inning, but Cliff Remole followed with a base hit to right. Drew Toussaint then got ahead in the count 2-0 and drilled the fastball he was waiting for over the fence in left-center to put the Quakes up 4-0. Pat Reilly singled and Tim Duff drew a walk before Fuller's RBI single to center made it 5-0, and Sutton then capped the inning with a two-run double down the left field line to make it 7-0. The JetHawks avoided the shutout on a solo home run by Mark Reynolds in the ninth, his league-leading 13th of the year.

Fernando Rodriguez (6-2) won his third straight game with five excellent innings, allowing just a run on four hits with no walks and three strikeouts. Keelen Raab (2-5) started for Lancaster and suffered the loss, despite allowing just two runs in five innings. Sutton led the offense with his second four-hit game of the year, while Remole, Reilly and Fuller all had two-hit performances.

The Quakes continue this 10-game homestand with the opener of a three-game series against Inland Empire Friday night at 7:05 p.m., highlighted by a post-game fireworks show. The game will be carried live on KWRM-AM 1370 and online at www.rcquakes.com. Lefty Micah Posey (1-5, 5.25 ERA) will start for the Quakes while the Sixers send Aaron Jensen (0-0, 3.60 ERA) to the hill. For more information, please call the Quakes at (909) 481-5000.

Notes: The Quakes will have another big leaguer take the field Friday, as Darin Erstad will come to Rancho Cucamonga for a rehab assignment. Erstad was hitting .238 with no home runs and four RBI in 22 games for the Angels before being placed on the 15-day DL with an ankle injury May 8th. He will DH.

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California League Stories from June 1, 2006


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