Quakes’ comeback comes up short; lead trimmed to 4

What was a 7 game lead over the High Desert Mavericks is down to 4 with 17 games to play as the Quakes’ comeback came up short on Wednesday, 7-6.

The Quakes really had no business to even be in the game.

They were out-hit 17-6 and High Desert scored in each of the first four innings. But the Mavericks didn’t run away with it as they ran into four double plays and left 13 runners on base.

The Mavericks led 7-1 in the sixth before Angelo Songco hit his second home run of the game in the bottom of the sixth to make it 7-2. It was Songco’s first two-homer game in his three-year pro career.

It was still 7-2 in the eighth, when a fielding error by Mavericks shortstop Nick Franklin opened the door for three unearned Quakes runs, capped by Blake Smith’s two-run homer.

Trailing 7-5 in the ninth, the Quakes rallied again with help from the Mavericks defense as closer Daniel Cooper dropped a throw from first baseman Dennis Raben for an error on what would have been the second out. Then Franklin made another error on what would’ve been the third out. A fielder’s choice and an RBI single by Rafael Ynoa made it 7-6 with two outs and Cooper struck out Songco to end the game.

The Quakes (30-23) are only seven games over .500 for the first time since May 11, when they were 20-13. The Mavericks have three more games in the current series to cut into the Quakes’ lead.