CalL1 Rancho Cucamonga Quakes

Songco's Blast Gives Quakes Come-Back Win

Published on May 11, 2013 under California League (CalL1)
Rancho Cucamonga Quakes News Release


Lake Elsinore, CA - Angelo Songco's eighth-inning homer put the Quakes ahead to stay, as Rancho Cucamonga snapped a two-game skid, rallying from a five-run deficit to down the Lake Elsinore Storm by a final of 14-12 at The Lake Elsinore Diamond on Friday night.

Dodgers' rehabbing pitcher Zack Greinke made the start for the Quakes on Friday night and benefitted from Songco's three-run blast, as it took Greinke off the hook after he was charged with eight runs in 4 1/3 innings.

Making his first rehab appearance since suffering a broken left collarbone on April 11th, Greinke fired 80 pitches. While his final line may leave some to doubt that he's ready to return to the Dodgers for his next start, he did find a rhythm, retiring seven straight at one point and finishing without a walk.

Greinke allowed a total of eight runs, but only three were earned, as the Quakes' defense committed three errors and made multiple mistakes in the field. The right-hander allowed six hits and fanned four, but most importantly, finished the game with a clean bill of health.

The Quakes gave Greinke a 1-0 lead in the first, as Noel Cuevas, who had a huge game with two triples and a home run, tripled and scored on a Darnell Sweeney sac fly.

The Storm answered in the bottom of the inning though, taking their first lead of the night at 2-1.

Cuevas put the Quakes up 4-2 in the third, as he took Storm starter John Hussey deep to left field, his third of the year.

Storm catcher Robert Kral, who had a career-night, took Greinke deep to right-center in the bottom of the inning though, evening the game at 4-4.

Rancho retook the lead in the fourth, as Ryan Mount, who finished 5-for-5 on the night, drove in Jonathan Garcia with a run-scoring hit, making it 5-4. They added two more in the fifth to take a 7-4 lead, as Cuevas tripled home another run and then scored on O'Koyea Dickson's RBI single.

Consecutive errors opened the door for the Storm in the bottom of the fifth, as Lake Elsinore chased Greinke, eventually taking an 8-7 lead, with Luis Domoromo's RBI single giving them a one-run advantage.

Kral capped his offensive outburst with his second homer of the game in the sixth, as his sixth round-tripper of the year made it 12-7 against Quakes' reliever Ryan Acosta. Kral finished 4-for-4 with six RBIs and four runs scored.

The Quakes came up with three in the seventh against Cody Hebner, making it a three-run game at 12-10.

In the eighth, Rancho took the lead for good, as Songco connected on a first-pitch fast ball from Johnny Barbato, smashing a three-run homer to right field and putting the Quakes in front 13-12. The home run is Songco's third of the year.

Mount capped the scoring in the top of the ninth, as he blasted a homer off of Barbato (0-1) as well, his fourth of the year to make it 14-12.

Pedro Baez worked a scoreless eighth but was challenged in the ninth. With one out, Baez walked Kral, then gave up a double to Lee Orr. But with the tying runs in scoring position, Baez fanned Domoromo and then got Duanel Jones to harmlessly ground out to Scott Wingo to end the game, notching his second save of the year.

Greinke wasn't the only big-league rehabber on Friday night, as Scott Elbert also made an appearance. Elbert (1-0), who had off-season elbow surgery, very quietly struck out two of the three men he faced in a perfect seventh inning to earn the win in relief.

The Quakes (18-17) look for two in a row on Saturday, sending new arm Lindsey Caughel (0-0) to the mound against Storm right-hander Matt Jackson (0-1) at 6:05pm.

After this four-game series concludes, the Quakes will take a day off on Tuesday, then return to action at LoanMart Field on Wednesday, May 15th, as they host the San Jose Giants in a four-game home stand. Tickets are available by calling (909) 481-5000 or online at rcquakes.com. We hope to see you very soon at LoanMart Field...Go Quakes!

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California League Stories from May 11, 2013


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