66ers beat Quakes in epic 13-inning game Wednesday

 

SAN BERNARDINO >> The 66ers have had little success against the Quakes this season.

But in a day game Wednesday at San Manuel Stadium, they showed some resiliency.

The Sixers rallied from an early deficit then David Fletcher’s bloop single with one out in the 13th inning scored Ayendy Perez with the winning run in a 5-4 victory over the Quakes.

The  victory in front of an announced crowd of 1,463 that dwindled to less than 100 by the game’s end, improved the record for the Sixers (29-55) to 4-13 vs. the Quakes (51-33) this season.

The Sixers had rallied from a 3-0 deficit with four runs in the seventh, capped by Taylor Ward’s two-out, two-run ground-rule double. The double would’ve scored a fifth run had it not bounced over the fence in center field.

“We took better at-bats in that inning,” said Fletcher, who also had an RBI single in the seventh.

“Pitches we normally hit, we were missing early in the game, but we didn’t in that inning,” Sixers manager Chad Tracy said.

The lead didn’t stick as Donovan Tate’s sacrifice fly in the ninth tied the score 4-4 for the Quakes and sent the game into extra innings.

Perez was 3 for 4 with two walks, two runs and an RBI while Ryan Sebra and Fletcher had three hits apiece for the Sixers.

Erick Mejia had three hits and scored twice and Edwin Rios had two hits and drove in two runs for the Quakes, who had beaten the Sixers in 11 innings Tuesday night. The Quakes had just one hit in 14 at-bats with runners in scoring position Wednesday, compared to 5-for-13 for the Sixers.

Quakes starter Tommy Bergjans’ record stayed 2-8 despite lowering his ERA to 4.79 by allowing three earned runs and striking out eight in 6 ⅓ innings. Sixers starter Justin Anderson came out after four innings after he felt “something weird” in the middle finger of his pitching hand but Tracy said it was only precautionary and he expects Anderson  to make his next start.

Quakes clinch first-half South Division title

Quakes logoEntering the day needing either to win or get a loss from Lancaster, the Quakes got both.
The Quakes (40-29) clinched the California League South Division first-half title with a 5-2 victory at Visalia on Saturday night.
It is the Quakes’ first playoff appearance since 2013 and also was the team’s first half-division title since winning both halves in 2011. Visalia (42-27) had already clinched the North Division first-half title.
On Saturday, Tyler Ogle had two hits, including his 13th home run and drove in three to lead the Quakes. It was Ogle’s two-run homer in the seventh that snapped a 2-2 tie. Brandon Dixon also homered for the Quakes.
Luis DePaula, A.J. Vanegas, Michael Johnson (4-1), Daniel Tillman, and Ramon Benjamin (fourth save) combined on a five-hitter for the Quakes.
Although Lake Elsinore’s game at Lancaster started about an hour before the Quakes’ game at Visalia, the Quakes’ game ended first, followed by Lancaster’s 12-8 loss to Lake Elsinore. The Quakes entered the game leading the first-half race by two games with two to play.

California League playoff scenarios with 4 games left

I just had an exchange of e-mails with Matt Blaney from the California League office to clear up the potentially confusing playoff scenario in the Cal League’s South Division w.

So far, Lancaster and Lake Elsinore are in the playoffs, but the 66ers, Quakes and High Desert are still in the running for the division’s last playoff spot, with 4 games remaining, including tonight.

Here’s how it breaks down.

  • The 66ers (tied for 2nd with LE, 1 game back of Lancaster), need to win the 2nd half to make the playoffs. BUT, they only need to tie for the 2nd half title. Matt said that if the 66ers tie with Lake Elsinore (they can’t tie with Lancaster, because they are playing Lancaster), for the 2nd half title, there would be NO 1-game playoff, because Lake Elsinore is already in the playoffs. The 66ers would get in and play Lake Elsinore in the first round.
  • The Quakes and High Desert can only get in if the 66ers are not involved in the 2nd half title. They WOULD have a 1-game playoff if the 66ers aren’t involved and if the Quakes and HD are tied. HD leads the Quakes by 1 game, with 4 left.
  • Here’s who plays who: 66ers at Lancaster, Quakes at Lake Elsinore, San Jose at High Desert.
  • In the North Division, it’s between Visalia and San Jose for the last playoff spot, with Visalia leading by 3 games. Bakersfield and Stockton are already in.

A look at the 66ers-Quakes playoff matchup

The Quakes and 66ers open the California League playoffs on Wednesday in a best-of-3 series against each other. Game 1 is in Rancho Cucamonga, Games 2 and 3, if necessary, are in San Bernardino.

Here is a look at the teams:

HEAD-TO-HEAD HISTORY
Last time the franchises met in the playoffs: 2004, 66ers won best-of-3, 2-0
Last time Dodgers and Angels’ affiliates met in the playoffs: 2000, San Bernardino Stampede (Dodgers) def. Lake Elsinore (Angels) 2-0.
66ers-Quakes all-time in playoffs: 66ers are 4-0
66ers-Quakes this year: 66ers won season series, 16-8.
Team head-to-head statistics: 66ers .281 BA, 16 errors, 4.08 ERA,; Quakes .256, 36 errors, 5.02 ERA.
Top head-to-head players on current roster: 66ers — Brian Hernandez (24 G, .407, 2 HR, 24 RBIs), Zach Borenstein (15 G, .466, 4 HR, 15 RBIs), Alex Yarbrough, (24 G, .321, 18 RBIs), Eric Cendejas (8G, 3-0, 1 SV, 1.69 ERA); Quakes — Bobby Coyle (9 G, .333, 5 HR), Chris Jacobs (14 G, .286, 4 HR, 10 RBIs), Scott Schebler (.22 G, .271, 3 HR, 13 RBIs), Darnell Sweeney (24 G, .293, 1 HR, 12 RBIs), Scott Wingo (.326); Matt Shelton (8 IP, 3 H, 0 R), Daniel Coulombe (1.93 ERA, 12 K, 9 1/3 IP)
OVERALL IN 2013
Records: 66ers 69-71, Quakes, 65-75
Pitching ranks: 66ers 4.64 ERA (fifth), Quakes 4.90 (seventh)
Runs scored: 66ers 675 (ninth), Quakes 728 (fourth)
Errors: 66ers 122 (fewest), Quakes 198 (most). Sixers infield of 1B Michael Snyder, 2B Alex Yarbrough, SS Eric Stamets and 3B Brian Hernandez lead the league in fielding percentage at their respective positions
Cal League postseason all-stars: 66ers — OF Zach Borenstein (MVP, .337, 28 HR, 95 RBIs), 1B Michael Snyder (.280, 25 HR, 92 RBIs), 2B Alex Yarbrough (.313, 11 HR, 80 RBIs, 14 SBs), P Mark Sappington (11-4, 3.37 ERA, promoted); Quakes — OF Scott Schebler (.296, 27 HRs, 91 RBIs).

MANAGERS PLAYOFF HISTORY
Quakes’ Carlos Subero: first time in playoffs in 4 years as Cal League manager
66ers’ Bill Haselman: 1st time in playoffs in 3 years as Cal League manager

 

Quakes outlast Mavericks 18-16 in 13 innings

Even in a place that is prone to crazy games, this one was especially crazy.

The Quakes rallied from an eight-run deficit, blew a three-run lead in the ninth inning, before scoring four times in the top of the 13th and held on for an 18-16 victory over the High Desert Mavericks before 738 fans in Adelanto late on Wednesday night.

The victory moved the Quakes (59-69) to within a half game of the Mavericks (59-68) for the South Division’s final playoff spot. The runs and the hits (22) were both season-highs for the Quakes. The game took 5 hours, 8 minutes.

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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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