Sweep Bid Falls Short with 9âÃâ¬Ã"2 Loss
Published on August 23, 2021 under California League (CalL)
San Jose Giants News Release
The Giants' bid for a six-game series sweep in Rancho Cucamonga fell short with a 9-2 loss to the Quakes on Sunday night at LoanMart Field. Rancho Cucamonga blasted four home runs while Quakes pitching limited San Jose to only four hits in the contest. Despite the loss, the Giants (60-36) claimed five of six in the series and currently own a seven-game lead in the Low-A West playoff race.
Rancho jumped on San Jose starter Prelander Berroa early on Sunday and never looked back. Imanol Vargas opened the scoring with a solo home run in the bottom of the second - his 13th round-tripper of the year. The Quakes then pushed across three runs in the bottom of the third inning to extend their lead. A walk to Luke McKenzie started the rally before Marco Hernandez was plunked on an 0-2 pitch. Jorbit Vivas followed with a single to right that brought home McKenzie with the first run of the inning. Hernandez was also able to score on the play when right fielder Luis Matos' throw home bounced away for an error. A two-out RBI single from Vargas later in the inning stretched the Rancho Cucamonga lead to 4-0.
The Quakes' Luis Diaz belted a solo home run off of Berroa in the bottom of the fourth to make it 5-0. In the sixth, with reliever Haydn King on the mound, Hernandez doubled with one out and scored on Vivas' single off the left field wall. Vivas was thrown out at second by left fielder Harrison Freed on the play, but the next hitter, Edwin Mateo, would then crush a solo home run for a 7-0 advantage.
Rancho Cucamonga pushed their lead to 9-0 on Alex DeJesus' two-run homer off of Wilkelma Castillo in the bottom of the seventh. DeJesus' blast was the Quakes' fourth home run of the night.
Meanwhile, the Giants generated little offense against Rancho Cucamonga pitching in the series finale. Quakes starter Jimmy Lewis fired three scoreless innings yielding only one hit - a second-inning single to Jimmy Glowenke. Los Angeles Dodgers reliever Joe Kelly then tossed a 1-2-3 top of the fourth as part of his rehab assignment. Braydon Fisher entered out of the Rancho Cucamonga bullpen in the top of the fifth and began his outing with two hitless innings. Ghordy Santos led off the top of the seventh with a single - only San Jose's second hit of the game - but was stranded when Fisher retired the next three batters.
The Giants finally broke through with a two-run top of the eighth thanks to a pair of Quakes errors. With one out, Freed's pop up to third was dropped by Sauryn Lao for an error. After Edison Mora walked, Grant McCray singled to load the bases. Then with two outs, Santos' grounder to second was misplayed by Vivas for another error allowing both Freed and Mora to score cutting the deficit to 9-2.
San Jose though would get no closer as the Giants stranded two runners in scoring position in the top of the eighth. In the ninth, Glowenke singled with two outs and Freed drew a walk, but Mora's deep fly ball was caught by Mateo as he crashed into the right center field wall ending the game.
GIANTS NOTES
Versus The Quakes
The Giants finish the season with a 10-2 record against Dodgers affiliate Rancho Cucamonga. San Jose won five of six games in a series between the teams at Excite Ballpark in June before again taking five of six in this week's series at LoanMart Field. The Giants averaged 7.1 runs per game versus the Quakes this season.
Inside The Box Score
The Quakes out-hit the Giants 10-4 on Sunday. Rancho Cucamonga hit four home runs after going deep only three times over the first five games in the series. Jimmy Glowenke (2-for-4) had San Jose's only multi-hit game. The Giants were 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position. Prelander Berroa (4 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 3 SO) suffered the loss.
Playoff Race
The Giants (60-36) are seven games ahead of third-place Modesto (53-43) and 7 1/2 games in front of fourth-place Rancho Cucamonga (52-43) in the race for the final playoff spot. San Jose has 24 games remaining in the regular season.
On Deck
Following an off day, the Giants continue their Southern California road trip on Tuesday evening with the opener of a six-game series against the Lake Elsinore Storm. First pitch at The Diamond is scheduled for 5:35 PM.
California League Stories from August 23, 2021
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- Storm Shutout 66ers 3-0 - Inland Empire 66ers
- Storm Unload for 15 Unanswered Runs over Final Three Frames to Rout Sixers - Inland Empire 66ers
- Sixers Hammer Three Jacks in Third Inning, Ride Strong Pitching to Victory - Inland Empire 66ers
- Sweep Bid Falls Short with 9âÃâ¬Ãâ2 Loss - San Jose Giants
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