What goes around comes around for Quakes

A night after an error helped the Quakes to an improbable victory, an error on their side led them to a 5-4 loss on Friday to Visalia. Despite the loss, the Quakes (26-16) still lead the South Division by seven games.

On Friday, the Quakes led 2-1 with runners on first and third and two outs in the seventh when Yucaipa High product Matt Davidson hit a high popup toward the first base side and behind the pitcher’s mound. The infielders converged on the ball. It appeared it should have been second baseman Rafael Ynoa’s play, but it was first baseman Austin Gallagher who called for it. At the last second, he lunged to his right for the ball and missed it and the tying run scored on the error.

A two-run double by Bobby Borchering and an RBI single by Keon Broxton followed to give Visalia a 5-2 lead. In all, four unearned runs scored as a result of the error.

The Quakes didn’t die. Tony Delmonico’s RBI fielder’s choice in the eighth cut the deficit to 5-3. In the ninth, the Quakes had runners on first and second and no outs, when they appeared to try a bunt-and-run. But when Rafael Ynoa missed the pitch, Gorman Erickson was thrown out at third base trying to steal. That proved costly as Ynoa then doubled home Travis Denker to make it 5-4. But closer Taylor Sinclair struck out pinch hitter J.T. Wise and retired Nick Buss on a fly out to left for the victory.

On Thursday, the Quakes won a game they should have lost. With two outs in the ninth, Visalia shortstop Brent Greer threw wildly to second on Denker’s fielder’s choice grounder and Ynoa scored the tying run, making it 2-2. They went on to win it in the 10th on Jake Lemmerman’s walk-off single.