Fresno Grizzlies Game Notes at Rancho Cucamonga
July 14, 2022 - California League (CalL)
Fresno Grizzlies News Release
The Grizzlies and Quakes continue their six-game series tonight. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 pm PT from LoanMart Field. Grizzlies RHP McCade Brown and Quakes RHP Joel Ibarra are the probable starters. I have attached the roster/game notes.
HAPPY 25TH BIRTHDAY TO YORVIS TORREALBA!
FIRST TRIP TO RANCHO: The Fresno Grizzlies and Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (Dodgers Single-A affiliate) continue their six-game series tonight at LoanMart Field. This is the second meeting between the clubs and the first ever matchup at Rancho Cucamonga. The Quakes started playing in Rancho Cucamonga in 1993 after relocating from San Bernardino. The team moved into the "Epicenter" on April 1, 1993. The Quakes played their first game at the stadium on April 8 against the High Desert Mavericks, winning 7-3. The Quakes continued to play their home games at the stadium, now renamed LoanMart Field. After being an affiliate of the San Diego Padres for the first eight years in Rancho Cucamonga, the team swapped affiliations with the Lake Elsinore Storm, beginning in the 2001 season. For the next 10 seasons, the Quakes were affiliated with the Los Angeles Angels. After that season, the Quakes once again changed affiliations, joining the Dodgers' system. They have been associated with the Dodgers since 2011, where many Dodgers stars go to rehab.
OH THE PLACES YOU WILL GO: The Grizzlies have now played at least one game at 38 stadiums. They include: Albuquerque (2), Calgary, Colorado Springs, Edmonton, El Paso, Fresno (2), Inland Empire, Iowa, Lake Elsinore, Las Vegas (2), Lincoln, Memphis (2), Modesto, Nashville (2), New Orleans, Oklahoma City, Omaha (2), Portland, Rancho Cucamonga, Reno, Round Rock, Sacramento, Salt Lake City, San Antonio, San Francisco (Pac Bell Park), San Jose, Stockton, Tacoma, Tucson, Vancouver, Visalia and Yuma. The Grizzlies played a few "home" games in San Francisco as Grizzlies Stadium, now Chukchansi Park was being completed in 2002. In 2004, Fresno played a "road" series in Yuma against Edmonton and one game in Lincoln against Omaha
ROARING AND SHAKING UP SINGLE-A: The Grizzlies and Quakes are ranked 1-2 in four different Single-A offensive categories. These categories include batting average, RBI, hit-by-pitches and OPS. Fresno is ranked first with a .279 batting average (Rancho Cucamonga, .265), 79 hit-by-pitches (Rancho Cucamonga, 77) and an .832 OPS (Rancho Cucamonga, .812). On the other side, the Quakes are ranked first with 517 RBI (Grizzlies, 480).
DON'T POKE THE BEAR: The Grizzlies rank second in Minor League Baseball with a .279 batting average (El Paso, .289). They also rank second with 79 hit-by-pitches (Great Lakes, 82), third with a .466 slugging percentage, third with an .832 OPS, fourth with 803 hits, fifth with 1,342 total bases and seventh with 480 RBI.
FROM HOOSIER TO BEAR: Tonight, the Grizzlies will hand the ball to Rockies #28 prospect McCade Brown, who will make his 11th start in a Fresno uniform. Brown was named California League Pitcher of the Month for June after going 1-1 with a 2.39 ERA in five starts. He scattered 19 hits over 26.1 innings and held opponents to a league-best .194 average. Brown led the league with 39 strikeouts and fanned eight or more batters in his last three June starts, including a season-high 10 on June 23 versus Modesto. The 2021 3rd-round draft pick joined the Grizzlies rotation on May 2nd after spending the first month of 2022 down in the Rockies Arizona complex. Brown started his professional career last summer with the ACL Rockies (rookie ball), appearing in four games (three starts). He hurled eight innings, allowing seven runs (six earned) while striking out nine. Brown was selected by the Rockies in the 3rd round of the 2021 MLB June Amateur Draft out of Indiana University. He spent three years with the Hoosiers and anchored the rotation for the first time in his final season. Brown made 12 starts and had a 5-4 record with a 3.39 ERA. He was an important piece of an Indiana pitching staff that finished No. 3 in the country in ERA and now looks to continue his success with the Grizzlies. Read more about Brown on Page 2.
FUTURES GAME: A pair of 2021 Fresno Grizzlies will represent the Colorado Rockies in the 2022 SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game on Saturday, July 16th from Dodger Stadium. Outfielder Zac Veen (Rockies #1 prospect) and shortstop Ezequiel Tovar (Rockies #2 prospect) will don National League threads as they battle the American League in a seven-inning contest. You can watch the game at 4 pm PT on Peacock and SiriusXM, with MLB Network producing the telecast and re-airing the game at 6 a.m. PT on Sunday.
PLAYOFF BOUND IN THE "GROWL"IFORNIA LEAGUE: For the second straight season, the Fresno Grizzlies are headed back to the playoffs after a 4-2 win over the Modesto Nuts on June 22nd from Chukchansi Park. Over those two years, Fresno has clinched both times against Modesto. The Grizzlies claimed the California League Northern Division and the best first half record among the eight teams (41-25). This is the first time in Grizzlies history that the team has made the playoffs in back-to-back seasons. The last time Fresno baseball made it to the postseason in back-to-back years were the Fresno Cardinals in 1955-1956. With the California League being split into two halves, the Grizzlies will not know their playoff opponent until the second half ends on September 11th. If the Grizzlies were to also win the second half, the team with the next best record in the Northern Division will play Fresno in the playoffs. The first (Grizzlies, Northern and Lake Elsinore Storm, Southern) and second half (to be determined) division winners will meet in a best-of-three game series. The winners of those series will meet for a best-of-three championship series. Similar to 2021, each Monday will be a day off in the league except for July 4th. All but two series will be six-game series this season. The break for players and coaches will be four days long from July 18th to July 21st.
WEAR THE BEAR: Red (12-12), Beige (7-3), Black & Gold (9-1), Gray (19-12), Specialty Promo (1-2), Fresno Tacos (0-0), Lowriders de Fresno (Copa de la Diversion, 3-0), Fresno Growers (1-0), Fresno Tigers (0-1), Red Pants (2-2).
NEW RULES IN 2022: Major League Baseball announced in March that experimental rules will expand in the California League for the 2022 season. The following rules include the return of the pitch clock and pickoff limits. Pitchers must deliver a pitch within 14 seconds with the bases empty and 18 seconds with runners on base. Hitters must be in the batter's box and be alert to the pitcher with nine seconds left. Pitchers will also be limited to two pickoff attempts or step-offs per plate appearance; any more without retiring the baserunner will effectively function as a balk. The league also added larger bases, increasing the size from 15 to 18 inches, a rule in place at Triple-A during the 2021 season. The increase is aimed to provide more room for players to operate around the bases, while modestly shrinking the distance between bases themselves. Additionally, the larger bases are composed of material that is expected to perform better in wetter conditions. Finally, teams must have a minimum of four defensive players on the infield when a pitch is delivered, with at least two infielders on either side of second base. The penalty for violation is an automatic ball, but if the hitter swings and gets a better outcome, the offensive team can take that. Goal is to increase batting average on balls in play.
JULY 15, 2022 @ RANCHO CUCAMONGA QUAKES (LOS ANGELES DODGERS): LOANMART FIELD- 6:30 PM PT
RHP Brayan Castillo (1-4, 5.32) vs. RHP River Ryan (1-2, 3.74)
JULY 16, 2022 @ RANCHO CUCAMONGA QUAKES (LOS ANGELES DODGERS): LOANMART FIELD- 6:30 PM PT
RHP Victor Juarez (4-2, 4.35) vs. RHP Orlando Ortiz-Mayr (1-2, 9.62)
JULY 17, 2022 @ RANCHO CUCAMONGA QUAKES (LOS ANGELES DODGERS): LOANMART FIELD- 5:00 PM PT
RHP Cullen Kafka (3-1, 3.35) vs. LHP Maddux Bruns (0-2, 4.74)
JULY 18-21, 2022
All Star Break
Recent Transactions:
7/13: LHP Ever Moya: Placed on Suspended List (3 games)
7/13: RHP Juan Mejia: Placed on Suspended List (3 games)
7/13: LHP Gabriel Rodriguez: Assigned to Fresno from ACL Rockies
7/13: RHP Raymells Rosa: Assigned to Fresno from ACL Rockies
7/12: LHP Tanner Propst: Assigned to Fresno from High-A Spokane
7/12: RHP Tyler Ahearn: Assigned to High-A Spokane from Fresno
California League Stories from July 14, 2022
- Fresno Grizzlies Game Notes at Rancho Cucamonga - Fresno Grizzlies
- Seven-Run Seventh Lifts 66ers over Ports - Stockton Ports
- Lewis Enjoys Career Night as Grizzlies Conquer Quakes 9-4 Wednesday - Fresno Grizzlies
- Fast Start for Fresno, as Rancho Falls - Rancho Cucamonga Quakes
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