CalL San Jose Giants

Quakes Rout Giants, Join San Jose In Playoffs

Published on June 18, 2023 under California League (CalL)
San Jose Giants News Release


The San Jose Giants suffered their largest margin of defeat in a game this season with a 15-2 loss to the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes on Saturday evening at Excite Ballpark. The Quakes pounded out 16 hits and scored in six different innings on their way to the convincing victory. With the win, Rancho Cucamonga clinched the first half South Division crown, joining San Jose in this year's California League playoffs after the Giants wrapped-up the North Division first half title two days ago.

San Jose only managed two hits on Saturday matching their lowest total this season. With the setback, the Giants (39-23) have now dropped two straight to the Quakes (36-26) and three out of the first five games in this week's series between the two division winners.

Rancho Cucamonga jumped on San Jose starter Nomar Medina for two runs in the top of the first before a four-run third inning. Medina, who was making his first start of the season, surrendered a two-out solo home run to Nick Biddison in the first inning as the Quakes took a 1-0 lead. After Jorge Puerta worked a walk, Rayne Doncon stepped to the plate and blasted an RBI triple off the fence in deep left for a 2-0 Rancho Cucamonga advantage.

The Quakes then sent eight batters to the plate in a four-run, four-hit top of the third against Medina to stretch their lead to 6-0. Leadoff hitter Kyle Nevin began the inning with a single and immediately scored when the next batter, Josue De Paula, hit a double. Two batters later, Puerta hit a sacrifice fly to bring home De Paula with the second run of the inning. Doncon then walked with two outs before Luis Rodriguez doubled to put runners on second and third. Kenneth Betancourt followed with an RBI single to make it 5-0 Rancho. Then with Dayton Dooney at the plate, the Quakes executed a double steal as Betancourt swiped second with Rodriguez stealing home to push the lead to 6-0.

Medina (3-3) was saddled with the loss after yielding six runs (all earned) on eight hits over his four innings of work. The left-hander walked three and struck out two.

Rancho Cucamonga then kept the pressure on by scoring in four straight innings from the fifth through the eighth to run away from the Giants. With reliever Luis Moreno on the mound in the top of the fifth, Puerta led off with a double and eventually scored on a Betancourt groundout. An inning later, Nevin led off with a towering 435-foot home run to deep left center for an 8-0 lead. Then with two outs, Puerta singled, Doncon doubled and then Rodriguez produced an RBI single to make it 9-0.

The Quakes then scored four times on just one hit in the top of the seventh to increase their lead to 13-0. Two straight walks issued by San Jose reliever Julio Rodriguez before an error loaded the bases with none out. Rodriguez then plunked De Paula to force home a run. A wild pitch scored another run before an RBI single from Puerta put the margin at 12-0. Doncon then hit a sacrifice fly to end a streak of six straight batters reaching as the Rancho Cucamonga lead grew to 13-0.

Quakes starting pitcher Peter Heubeck picked-up the win with a dominant outing as the former third round pick fired five no-hit innings. Heubeck worked around three walks and an HBP during his impressive pitching performance. He struck out five. The only inning in which the Giants advanced a runner past first base against Heubeck came in the bottom of the first as Thomas Gavello was hit by a pitch with one out before Onil Perez walked. After a wild pitch moved the runners to second and third, Heubeck registered consecutive strikeouts of Matt Higgins and Tanner O'Tremba to end the threat. Heubeck retired the final seven hitters of his outing.

San Jose didn't record their first hit of the game until the bottom of the seventh. With the score at 13-0, Rancho reliever Madison Jeffrey issued a one-out walk to O'Tremba. Then with two down, Jose Ramos blasted a double to the fence in deep left center scoring O'Tremba all the way from first. Ramos' double marked the Giants' first hit of the game. Ramos later advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on a passed ball to make it 13-2.

The Quakes scored their final two runs in the top of the eighth on a De Paula RBI double and a Biddison RBI groundout to bring the game to its final margin of 15-2.

Rancho Cucamonga out-hit San Jose 16-2. Six players in the Quakes lineup had a multi-hit game. Rancho Cucamonga finished the night with eight extra-base hits (five doubles, one triple and two home runs). In addition to Ramos' double, the only other Giants hit was a leadoff double from Higgins in the bottom of the ninth.

The Giants conclude their series with Rancho Cucamonga on Sunday afternoon with first pitch at Excite Ballpark set for 1:00 PM. Jack Choate is San Jose's scheduled starting pitcher. Visit sjgiants.com for tickets.

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California League Stories from June 18, 2023


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