Ethier not enough as 66ers rout Quakes

The Quakes were coming off a three-game sweep at San Jose. The Sixers were coming off getting swept in a three-game series at home by Visalia by a combined score of 28-4.

Tuesday’s off-day apparently came at a good time for the Sixers and a bad time for the Quakes.

The Sixers got good pitching and power hitting and routed Andre Ethier and the Quakes 7-0 before 2,684 at the Epicenter on Wednesday.

Left-hander Nick Maronde (1-1) was making his first start since missing about two months with a strained lat muscle. He pitched five shutout innings for the Sixers, allowing three hits, no walks and striking out one. That one was Andre Ethier, the Dodgers outfielder who made his first of a 2 game rehab appearance with the Quakes as he works his way back from an oblique muscle strain. Ethier went 0 for 2 with a strikeout and a groundout. He played 5 innings as expected.

He was impressed with Maronde, the Angels’ No. 10 prospect. “He could help some big league teams right now,” Ethier said.

Maronde, Lay Batista (a starter moved to the bullpen to limit innings) and Bryant George combined on a three-hitter.

Meanwhile, the Sixers brought their power sticks, as Kaleb Cowart hit his second and third homers. He went 3 for 4 with three RBIs and a walk. His first homer was very high, and just barely went off the scoreboard in right.

His second was originally ruled a double then changed to a home run when the umpires conferred decicded it hit off the second row of billboards in left-center.

C.J.Cron hit his team-leading 13th homer, with his league-leading 73rd RBI. And Brennan Gowens hit his first homer, a three-run shot. All 7 Sixers runs came via home runs.