CalL1 Rancho Cucamonga Quakes

Quakes Win Fourth Straight Road Game

Published on June 26, 2015 under California League (CalL1)
Rancho Cucamonga Quakes News Release


LAKE ELSINORE, CA - Right-hander Zack Bird put forth another strong outing, leading Rancho Cucamonga to a 4-1 victory over Lake Elsinore at The Diamond on Friday night for their fourth consecutive road win.

Bird (4-3), who surrendered one run over seven innings in a win at Visalia last week, tossed six innings on Friday, allowing one run, two hits, one walk and a hit batter while striking out five. The 20-year-old from Jackson, Mississippi has 14 strikeouts over his last 13 innings pitched. He's rated by Baseball America as the 19th-best prospect in the Dodgers' system.

The Quakes (2-0, 43-29) took a first-inning lead against Storm starter Kyle Lloyd (4-5). Brandon Trinkwon launched a solo homer over the 36-foot-tall fence in right field, giving the visitors a 1-0 advantage. Trinkwon's fifth home run of the season extended his hitting streak to nine consecutive games.

Rancho Cucamonga added to the margin against Lloyd in the fourth. Brandon Dixon opened the inning with a double. Cody Bellinger singled off the right field wall to score Dixon, but Bellinger was thrown out while trying to extend it to a double. Paul Hoenecke reignited the rally with a single to right, pushing his hitting streak to 13 games. Joey Curletta doubled down the left field line, plating Hoenecke. Webster Rivas doubled to the left-center field gap, chasing Curletta home for a 4-0 cushion.

Lake Elsinore (0-2, 31-41) finally broke through against Bird in the fifth inning. Gabriel Quintana was hit by a pitch to lead off the frame and advanced to second on a balk. A groundout by Donavan Tate pushed Quintana to third base. With Yale Rosen batting and two outs, a wild pitch by Bird allowed Quintana to hustle home, trimming the deficit to 4-1.

The Quakes' bullpen continued to impress on Friday night. A.J. Vanegas pitched two scoreless innings while only surrendering an infield single. Ramon Benjamin closed the contest with a perfect ninth inning, earning his fifth save of the season. Rancho Cucamonga's relievers have not allowed a run in the last four games, spanning 14 innings.

Rancho Cucamonga is now within one game of the .500 mark on the road at 18-19 this season, having won seven of their last nine contests away from LoanMart Field. The Quakes improve to 3-3 at Lake Elsinore this season and 11-3 overall against the Padres' California League affiliate.

The four-game weekend series continues at The Diamond on Saturday night. The Quakes will send right-hander Brock Stewart (1-1, 7.52 ERA) to the mound, while the Storm with righty Matt Shepherd (2-4, 6.00 ERA). First pitch in Lake Elsinore is scheduled for 6:00 pm. You can catch all the action on FOX Sports 1350 AM, beginning with the LoanMart Pregame Show at 5:45.

The Quakes return to LoanMart Field on Tuesday, June 30th against High Desert at 7:05 pm. The series opener with the Mavericks is a Healthy RC Recycle Tuesday! Fans who bring ten CRV-eligible bottles and/or cans to the ballpark can receive free club seat admission, thanks to the City of Rancho Cucamonga and the Healthy RC Program! Tickets for all remaining Quakes' home games are available at rcquakes.com or by calling (909) 481-5000.

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California League Stories from June 26, 2015


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