Mavs Take First Half Pennant with 8-5 Win
Published on June 26, 2012 under California League (CalL1)
Rancho Cucamonga Quakes News Release
Adelanto, CA - The High Desert Mavericks scored four times in a decisive sixth inning, holding on for an 8-5 win over the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes on Monday night in Adelanto, securing the First Half South Pennant.
Monday's tie-breaking game in Adelanto gave the Mavs their third straight win over the Quakes, dating back to the end of the first half of the regular season, when High Desert needed back-to-back wins to even force a tie-breaker, five games into the second half.
A win in any of the three games against High Desert would have given the Quakes their fourth straight pennant, but Quakes' pitching tied a season-high by giving up 18 hits, while the Mavs' bullpen held the Quakes off the scoreboard for five straight innings, helping to secure High Desert's first pennant since 2009.
The teams traded runs early, as C.J. Retherford crushed his team-leading 17th homer of the year in the top of the first, only to see a 1-0 lead erased, as Steven Proscia left the yard in the bottom of the inning, tying the game at 1-1.
High Desert took the lead in the botto of the second, as James Jones doubled home Mario Martinez, making it 2-1.
Leon Landry's solo homer off Mavs' starter Roenis Elias tied it at 2-2 in the top of the third. Elias would then walk Joc Pederson, before giving up a double to Retherford, putting runners at second and third with no outs. Chris O'Brien and Jonathan Garcia followed by picking up back-to-back sacrifice flies, as Rancho took a 4-2 advantage.
Landry and Pederson opened the fifth with consecutive hits, with Landry later coming home on Retherford's third hit of the game, an RBI single to make it 5-2.
That's when the momentum turned, as High Desert removed Elias in favor of Tim Boyce, who shut down the Quakes over his 2 2/3 innings. Boyce (1-2) entered with two on and no outs and retired all three hitters he faced, sending the game to the bottom of the fifth, when the Mavs started to turn things around.
Quakes' starter Angel Sanchez allowed a two-out base-runner, when he hit Dennis Raben with a pitch. Mike McGee followed with a double, putting runners at second and third with two outs. Sanchez then uncorked a wild pitch, allowing Raben to score, making it a two-run game. Mickey Wiswall followed with an RBI single, chasing home McGee to make it a one-run game at 5-4. That led to Sanchez being replaced by Eammon Portice, who joined the team today from Double-A Chattanooga. Portice threw just one pitch, getting out of the inning when Martinez popped up to end the threat.
Portice (0-1) wasn't as fortunate in the sixth, as three straight hitters reached, with Brad Miller singling home Carlos Ramirez to tie the game at 5-5. Steve Smith then came on and immediately gave up a two-run single to John Hicks, as the Mavs took a 7-5 lead. High Desert plated another run later in the inning, an unearned run that gave them a three-run cushion at 8-5.
Boyce pitched into the seventh, before being relieved by Stephen Kohlscheen, who got the final out of the inning by striking out Garcia with Retheford aboard.
Kohlscheen was removed in the eighth, after walking the first two hitters he faced. But both Scott Wingo and pinch-hitter Chris Jacobs struck out, before Landry grounded into an inning-ending force play.
Retherford picked up a one-out single in the night, capping a 5-for-5 effort, but was stranded as Mavs' reliever Carson Smith got Chris O'Brien to pop up and Garcia to strike out for the third time, ending the game and giving Smith his third save and the Mavs the pennant.
The Quakes (1-4, 38-37) will try to regroup on Tuesday night, as they find themselves three games back of first place, just five games into the second half. JonMichael Redding (4-1) will go for the Quakes, while Angel Raga (4-2) will throw for High Desert. Game time from Adelanto is 7:05pm.
On Sunday, July 1st, the Quakes return to The Epicenter for a Valencia Commons Dodgers' Fun in the Sunday, featuring former Dodger great "Sweet" Lou Johnson. Tickets are available by calling (909) 481-5000 or online at rcquakes.com. Go Quakes!
California League Stories from June 26, 2012
- Mavs Take First Half Pennant with 8-5 Win - Rancho Cucamonga Quakes
- Ports Blast Giants in Series Opener - San Jose Giants
- Nash Knocks 19th in Fifth Straight Loss - Lancaster JetHawks
- 66ers Ride out Storm, Win 7-6 - Inland Empire 66ers
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