Quakes Outlast Giants To Even Series

The San Jose Giants suffered an 11–7 loss to the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes on Wednesday afternoon at Excite Ballpark. Needing one victory to secure the first half North Division title, the Giants rallied from a late four-run deficit to tie the game before Rancho Cucamonga scored four times in the top of the ninth to take back the lead for good and secure the victory. With the defeat, San Jose (38–21) has now split the first two games of the series while their magic number to clinch the division remains at one.

Diego Velasquez (2-for-5, HR, 3 RBI) homered and drove in three runs to lead the Giants offensively in the loss. Matt Higgins (2-for-3, 2B) and Andrew Kachel (2-for-4, 2B) also finished with multi-hit games while Reggie Crawford (1-for-4, 2B, 2 RBI) knocked in a pair of runs.

San Jose enjoyed a 3–1 lead through five innings and received an outstanding start from Gerelmi Maldonado on Wednesday. Maldonado fired four strong innings yielding only one run on one hit. The right-hander walked none and struck out eight during his impressive outing. The Quakes’ only run against Maldonado came one batter into the game when Kyle Kevin connected for a leadoff homer to left center in the top of the first.

The Giants immediately tied the game in the bottom of the first when Velasquez hit his fourth home run of the season — a solo shot to right. San Jose then took a 3–1 lead in the bottom of the fourth when they loaded the bases with two outs and P.J. Hilson drove in the go-ahead run with an infield single to shortstop. A second run also scored on the play from a Rancho throwing error.

Cameron Cotter relieved Maldonado to begin the top of the fifth and began his stint on the mound with a scoreless inning before the Quakes erupted in the top of the sixth with a six-run frame to jump in front by a 7–3 margin. Josue De Paula’s RBI double off of Cotter brought home the first run before a fielding error committed by Higgins at first base later in the inning allowed the tying run to come across. Jorge Puerta’s RBI single then put Rancho Cucamonga back ahead while Kenneth Betancourt’s two-out, two-run double pushed the Quakes lead to 6–3. A passed ball then committed by Giants catcher Onil Perez on a strikeout scored the sixth and final run of the inning.

San Jose though would battle back. Crawford’s RBI double in the bottom of the seventh brought the Giants within 7–4. Then in the eighth, Velasquez knocked in a pair of runs with a double to center which preceded a Crawford sacrifice fly to tie the game 7–7.

Unfortunately for San Jose, Rancho Cucamonga responded with another big inning scoring four times in the top of the ninth with Julio Rodriguez on the mound to take control of the game. Singles from Betancourt and Nevin before a HBP of De Paula loaded the bases with one out. Nick Biddison then produced the go-ahead hit when he doubled to left plating two runs for a 9–7 Quakes lead. An error from Perez on a missed catch when the first baseman Kachel threw home on a ground ball allowed a third run in the inning to score for Rancho. Puerta’s sacrifice fly then increased the Quakes advantage to 11–7.

In the bottom of the ninth, Higgins led off with a double, but the next three Giants hitters were retired as Rancho Cucamonga earned the victory.

The Quakes out-hit San Jose by a 10–9 margin with both teams committing three errors in the contest. The Giants were 2-for-12 with runners in scoring position and left 10 on base.

San Jose can still clinch the first half North Division title on Wednesday night if both Fresno and Modesto suffer losses in their respective games. The Giants, who entered Wednesday with a seven-game lead over the Grizzlies and Nuts, now have seven games remaining in the first half.

The Giants continue their series with Rancho Cucamonga on Thursday evening with first pitch at Excite Ballpark set for 6:30 PM. Manuel Mercedes is San Jose’s scheduled starting pitcher.

Quakes Outlast Giants To Even Series was originally published in Inside the San Jose Giants on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.