2014 California League schedule is released

Here is the 2014 Cal League schedule, if you click on the link below. Quakes open at home on April 3, play the 66ers for the first time, at home on April 7, and 66ers open at home on April 10.

66ers will host on July 4, Quakes on July 3.

2014 California League Schedule(1)

Borenstein finally back for 66ers; Baez promoted from Quakes

 

Zach BorensteinPedro Baez

Zach Borenstein, who hadn’t played since June 15 with a strained hip flexor after hitting .315 with 16 home runs and 50 RBIs in 65 games, finally returned to the 66ers lineup on Wednesday. He was activated off the disabled list and had RBI singles in each of his first two at-bats at Lancaster. The Sixers had an open roster spot so they did not need to make another move.

Not so for the Quakes, who needed to find room for former big-league closer Carlos Marmol. Since Marmol is technically a minor leaguer and not on a rehab assignment, the Quakes needed to make room for him. The room was made with Pedro Baez, in his first year as a pitcher, getting promoted to Double-A Chattanooga. Baez was 2-2 with a 3.63 ERA and two saves in 32 appearances for the Quakes.

“Double-A will challenge him to make more progress,” Quakes manager Carlos Subero said. “It will help in his development.”

Another pitcher DL for 66ers, Coyle comes off DL for Quakes

Daniel Tillman

Daniel Tillman

Bobby Coyle

Bobby Coyle

 

 

 

 

The Quakes and 66ers each made roster moves in advance of their series finale on Tuesday at San Manuel Stadium.

The Sixers had yet another pitcher go down with an injury, as right-hander Daniel Tillman went to the DL with a strained flexor tendon in his pitching arm. Tillman, who pitched for the Sixers the last two years, had made only two appearances since rejoining the team, the last time on July 4. In his place, the Sixers got right-hander Jairo Diaz. Diaz was 0-3 with a 3.97 ERA and eight saves for low Single-A Burlington before joining the Sixers.

The Quakes, meanwhile, brought outfielder Bobby Coyle off the disabled list. Since joining the team from Double-A Chattanooga a week ago, Coyle had been on the disabled list with an illness. Although he batted just .141 at Double-A, he did hit .288 with two home runs in 18 games with the Quakes earlier this season. To make room for Coyle, outfielder Devin Shines was placed on the disabled list.

66ers add another pitcher to DL

 

Eswarlin Jimenez

Eswarlin Jimenez

The 66ers added yet another pitcher to the disabled list, as left-handed reliever Eswarlin Jimenez (2-5, 5.65 ERA) was placed on the seven-day DL. The Sixers currently have seven pitchers on the disabled list.

“He had some shoulder weakness,” Sixers manager Bill Haselman said. “His velocity was off.”

Haselman said they will have no idea how serious the injury is until they get a report on Jimenez back from the doctor.

In Jimenez’s place, the Sixers got left-hander Matt Hernandez, whom the Angels drafted in the 23rd round this year out of the University of Houston.

Hernandez had a 3.12 ERA in 8 2/3 innings in the rookie-level Arizona League, but in his last three outings (7 2/3 innings), he allowed three hits, no runs while striking out six.

Baserunning blunders costly for Quakes in 4-3 loss to 66ers

66ers held on to defeat the Quakes 4-3 on Monday night but not without help from some bad Quakes baserunning you may never see in a game again.

There were six players thrown out on the bases Monday night, but two plays in particular stand out.

  • In the second inning, the Quakes had runners on first and second with one out. Casio Grider strayed off of first and catcher Abel Baker threw down to first to pick him off. Scott Wingo on second decided to take off for third and was thrown out at third to end the inning. A 2-3-5 double play without a pitching being thrown
  • But the doozie came in the seventh inning. With the Quakes trailing 4-2 Webster Rivas on first, Bladimir Franco belted a double to right-center. Rivas was in the process of scoring easily as the relay throw to the plate was wide. But Scott Wingo, the on-deck hitter, was standing on the third-base side of home plate and got in catcher Baker’s way as he tried to go after the ball. Rivas was called out on Wingo’s interference. I believe it is a violation of MLB Rule 7.09 (D) that states: “It is interference by a batter or a runner when — Any member or members of the offensive team stand or gather around any base to which a runner is advancing, to confuse, hinder or add to the difficulty of the fielders. Such runner shall be declared out for the interference of his teammate or teammates.”
  • The other baserunners thrown out were more normal. Darnell Sweeney thrown out trying to steal second in the first inning. Scott Schebler thrown out (1-6) trying to steal second without a pitching being thrown in the sixth inning. The next batter, Sweeney, was easily thrown out at third trying to stretch a double to a triple.

Quakes down Lancaster on walk-off grand slam, 6-3

Thanks to sportscenetv.net for the above video

It was a game that ended with Scott Schebler’s walk-off grand slam a thrilling moment for the Quakes to win their first game this season when trailing after eight innings. Now only Lake Elsinore and San Jose are winless in those situations.

But this was a game with plenty of nuances:

  • If Lancaster manager Rodney Linares doesn’t take Telvin Nash out of the game after he was hit by a pitch (and yapping with Quakes starter Gustavo Gomez) in the sixth innings, then Carlos Perdomo isn’t playing third and might not be making the error that started the bottom of the ninth.
  • Lancaster was 2 for 13 with runner in scoring position. They also had a runner thrown out in each of the last three innings at home or in a rundown between third and home.
  • Each team had a strikeout/wild pitch that either scored a run or kept an inning alive to allow a run to score later.
  • What impact did it have bringing in Lancaster closer Travis Ballew in the eighth inning trying to get a four-out save?
  • If Scott Wingo, who has good speed and bunts well, doesn’t get that bunt down with 2 on and 0 outs in the ninth, do the Quakes win? The bunt was thrown away, allowing a run to score and putting the winning run in scoring position.
  • The Quakes did not get a single runner into scoring position in any of the first six innings, yet won.
  • Scott Schebler’s grand slam was the Quakes’ second this season (the other was by Darnell Sweeney) and first in the league since June 16, the longest gap without one this season.

 

Mark Lowe recalls 2006 66ers season

Mark Lowe, now a reliever for the Angels, was back in San Manuel Stadium (back then Arrowhead Credit Union Park) on Tuesday for the first time since he was with the 66ers for the first two months of the 2006 season. Back then, Lowe was with the 66ers when they were a Seattle Mariners affiliate. On Tuesday, he was with the 66ers as part of a rehabilitation assignment as he recovers from a stiff neck.

That was the last 66er team to win a California League championship. But it was a magical year for Lowe in a different way. By the end of the season he wasn’t winning a Cal League title, he was in the big leagues.

“I felt like that year, I couldn’t do anything wrong,” Lowe said.

Lowe recalled one 66er game from 2006 in particular that I remembered as well. That year he had been converted from being a starter to being a reliever, but he was pressed into duty as a starter in Game 2 of a doubleheader against High Desert in San Bernardino on April 15, 2006.

Lowe pitched five dominating innings in the seven-inning contest, allowing only one baserunner to reach base. With two outs in the fourth, a throwing error by third baseman Ronnie Prettyman allowed Rusty Brown to reach first base. Lowe struck out eight in five innings.

“I remember wanting to go back out for the sixth, since it was only a seven-inning game, but they wouldn’t let me,” Lowe said.

Reliever Aaron Trolia allowed a two-out double to Juan Senreiso in the sixth, breaking up the no-hit bid. Stephen Kahn pitched the seventh for the save in the 3-0 win and the trio of pitchers settled for a combined one-hitter. The game turned out to be Lowe’s only California League victory.

2 season openers at home, 2 wins for Quakes, 66ers

Both the Quakes and 66ers opened the 2013 California League season at home on Thursday night, and both came through with exciting victories.

After blowing a 4-0 lead, the Sixers’ Ryan Jones’ third hit of the game, a single with one out in the 12th inning, scored the game-winning walk-off run in a 5-4 win over Modesto before 3,128 at San Manuel Stadium.

Meanwhile, the Quakes rallied from a 4-0 deficit and Scott Schebler’s three-run homer with two outs in the eighth lifted the Quakes to a 5-4 win over Lake Elsinore before 3,811 at newly renamed LoanMart Field.

Quakes manager Carlos Subero talks about exhibition game experience vs. Dodgers

Quakes manager Carlos Subero said that probably “eight” of the players on the 18-man Quakes roster for Thursday’s exhibition game will be on the Quakes’ opening day roster one week from tonight.

First baseman Angelo Songco, who had two hits, including the walk-off single, who played with the Quakes parts of each of the last two years, said he expects to be back in Rancho Cucamonga. Subero said Songco could start with the Quakes, but any injuries at higher levels would likely push him to Double-A.

It was interesting to see former Dodger third base prospect Pedro Baez, who at one point played in the Futures Game as a third baseman, pitch. Baez has been moved to the mound. He gave up the three tying runs in the top of the seventh. But Subero pointed out that only one ball was really hit hard

Dodgers not first MLB team to play at Epicenter

There is plenty of excitement over Thursday’s exhibition game at the Epicenter and rightfully so. The Dodgers are coming to Rancho Cucamonga.

Of course, Quakes fans have been treated to some high-profile rehabilitation guys last year, including Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier. But this is an entire Dodger team, although several of the regulars will be playing in the Freeway Series the same night against the Angels.

But, this is not the first time that a big-league team has come to Rancho Cucamonga to play the Quakes in an exhibition game.

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