Cal League team loses big

Posted on June 19, 2013 by Michelle Gardner

It wasn’t a good day for the California League All-Stars. They were walloped 12-2 by the Carolina League team in All-Star play on Tuesday at San Jose Municipal Stadium.

San Jose’s Edwin Escobar didn’t benefit from the home cooking. The Carolina League batted around against the Giants southpaw, a feat it duplicated an inning later.

Braves prospect Robby Hefflinger followed his Home Run Derby win by earning All-Star MVP honors. He started the fourth-inning rally against Escobar with a double and finished 3-for-5 with a pair of two-baggers and a run scored.

Player from the local teams didn’t factor into the outcome. Inland Empire second baseman Alex Yarbrough started and went 0-for-2. Rancho Cucamonga outfielder Noel Cuevas also went 0-for-2.

Sixers pitcher Kramer Sneed went the fifth inning and was victimized by a bad defense. He gave up four hits and five runs but all the runs were unearned.

Indians top prospect Francisco Lindor delivered a two-run double and walked, while David Rohm (Braves) and Rangers No. 3 prospect Luis Sardinas both contributed pinch two-run single in the fifth for the Carolina League.

Lake Elsinore Storm catcher Robert Kral was named California League MVP after blasting a solo homer in the third and drawing a walk in the fifth.

With the win, the Carolina League took the lead in the all-time series 8-7-2.

Quakes outfielder honored

Posted on June 17, 2013 by Michelle Gardner

Jon Garcia has already eclipsed his 2012 Cal League home run total.

Outfielder Jonathan Garcia of the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes has been named California League Player of the Week for June 10-16.

Garcia, 21, hit .560 (14 for 25) in six games with two doubles, two triples, three home runs, 11 RBI and three stolen bases..

After batting just .220 in May, Garcia is running wild in June with seven homers, 21 RBI and a .443 average in 15 games. He had back-to-back four hits games, with one of those consisting of two home runs and five RBI.

On the season Garcia, who also played with the Quakes last year, is hitting .304 with 13 doubles, five triples, 16 home runs and 43 RBI.

Right-hander Daniel Winkler of Modesto was the Pitcher of the Week. Winkler, 23, had two starts (14 innings) and went 1-0 with just four hits and one earned run allowed and 16 strikeouts.

It’s All-Star time for Quakes, Sixers

Posted on June 16, 2013 by Michelle Gardner

Most of the Quakes and Sixers will have a few days to regroup and prepare for the last 70 games of the season. But a handful are heading to San Jose for Carolina-California League festivities to be hosted by the San Jose Giants on Tuesday.

The Sixers (37-33), an affiliate of the Angels, have four players named to the team. They are pitchers Mark Sappington and Kramer Sneed, infielder Alex Yarbrough and outfielder Zach Borenstein. Sappington and Borenstein will not play. Borenstein, who originally planned to take part in the Homerun Derby, injured his knee legging out a double in Saturday’s game at High Desert.

The Quakes (31-39), the Dodgers affiliate, will be represented by outfielder Noel Cuevas and third baseman Ryan Mount, although mount is also injured and won’t take part.

The Carolina League won last year’s game 9-1. It was held at Winston-Salem.

This will be the 17th meeting between the two. The series is deadlocked at 7-7-2.

The second half of the season gets underway on Thursday. The Quakes will start out at Lancaster while the Sixers will host Lake Elsinore.

Quakes player headed to DL

Posted on June 9, 2013 by Michelle Gardner

Rancho Cucamonga Quakes catcher Chris O’Brien has been placed on the disabled list with a fractured middle finger.

O’Brien, 23, was hitting .169 in 37 games.

To fill his spot on the roster the Quakes are getting catcher Webster Rivas from extended spring. Rivas was with the Quakes early in the season, playing three games, all in April.

California League rosters announced

Posted on June 7, 2013 by Michelle Gardner

Mark Sappington is 5-0 with a 2.05 ERA in nine starts for the 66ers.

The California League All-Star team that will take on one from the Carolina League on June 18 in San Jose has been announced. Both local teams are represented.

CALIFORNIA LEAGUE

Pitchers

Jake Barrett, Visalia Rawhide; Ty Blach, San Jose Giants; Carlos Contreras, Bakersfield Blaze; Edwin Escobar, San Jose Giants; Drew Grenier, Stockton Ports; Chris Jensen, Modesto Nuts; *El’Hajj Muhammed, Bakersfield Blaze; Josh Osich, San Jose Giants; Brady Rodgers, Lancaster JetHawks; Mark Sappington, Inland Empire 66ers; *Hunter Strickland, San Jose Giants; Dan Winkler, Modesto Nuts.

Catchers

Jeff Arnold, San Jose Giants; Robert Kral, Lake Elsinore Storm.

Infielders

*Ryan Cavan, San Jose Giants; *JiMan Choi, High Desert Mavericks; Matt Duffy, Lancaster JetHawks; *Jake Lamb, Visalia Rawhide; Geson Montilla, Visalia Rawhide; *Ryan Mount, Rancho Cucamonga Quakes; Max Muncey, Stockton Ports; *Cory Spangenberg, Lake Elsinore Storm; Chris Taylor, High Desert Mavericks; Angela Villalona, San Jose Giants; Alex Yarbrough, Inland Empire 66ers.

Outfielders

Andrew Aplin, Lancaster JetHawks; Jabari Blash, High Desert Mavericks; Zach Borenstein, Inland Empire 66ers; Noel Cuevas, Rancho Cucamonga Quakes;Preston Tucker, Lancaster JetHawks.

Field staff (All San Jose)

Andy Skeets, Manager; Mike Couchee, pitching coach; Lipso Nava, hitting coach; Dave Getsoff, trainer; Dustin Brooks, strength and conditioning.

* Denotes player who will not play due to promotion or injury

Quakes pitcher earns promotion

Posted on June 7, 2013 by Michelle Gardner

If the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes are to make a playoff run, they’ll have to do it without one of their top pitchers.

Right-hander Duke von Schmann was promoted to Double-A Chattanooga (Tenn.,) of the Southern League. Von schmann was tied for the California League in wins (8) with Daniel Winkler of Modesto. He is 8-2 with a 4.34 ERA in 64 1/3 innings. He has given up 31 earned runs and 64 hits with 50 strikeouts.

He is the son of former Miami Dolphins kicker Uwe von Schamann.

To replace him on the roster, right-handed pitcher Matt Shelton has been activated from the disabled list.

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

Posted on April 5, 2013 by Pete Marshall

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

Posted on March 28, 2013 by Pete Marshall

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

Posted on March 27, 2013 by Pete Marshall

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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5 Years after his California League debut, he could be back in the league

Posted on March 15, 2013 by Pete Marshall

I’m getting excited about the start of Cal League in less than three weeks.

And for those of you who have a hard time keeping track of rapidly changing lineups from year to year, there could be a familiar face back in the league yet again, with the Quakes.

Here are some clues:

He first appeared in the Cal League in 2008
He appeared in 281 Cal League games with the Quakes and 66ers over the course of 3 seasons.
He missed the entire 2010 season due to a shoulder injury
He has a brother in the big leagues. Make your guess, because the answer is next…
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