San Bernardino, CA- The Inland Empire 66ers of San Bernardino got four no-hit innings from Angels righty Matt Shoemaker on an MLB Injury Rehab Assignment and DJ Jenkins first career homer, an inside-the-parker no less, in an 8-3 win over Lake Elsinore on Wednesday. The win snapped the Sixers five-game
San Bernardino, CA- The Inland Empire 66ers of San Bernardino got four no-hit innings from Angels righty Matt Shoemaker on an MLB Injury Rehab Assignment and DJ Jenkins first career homer, an inside-the-parker no less, in an 8-3 win over Lake Elsinore on Wednesday. The win snapped the Sixers five-game losing skid on the homestand in the club's penultimate regular season home contest of 2018.
Shoemaker faced the minimum amount of batters through four frames allowing just a walk in the second but coaxing a double play the very next pitch. He fanned six in the first four innings. An error allowed the first batter of the fifth to reach while Shoemaker, pitching in a game since a win at Oakland on 3/31/18, followed it with his second walk and that ended his evening. He tossed 59 pitches, 37 strikes. Jorge Tavarez (5-1) came in and allowed a hit and walk with two Ks the unearned lead baserunner scoring. The Sixers were facing Pedro Avila (7-9) who was outstanding in a tough loss as the righty stuck out 11 batters in five frames giving up three runs but only one earned. In his last two outings (both against IE), Avila has racked up 21 Ks in 11.0 IP. Leading 3-1 in the sixth Jenkins liner was out of the reach of centerfielder Edward Olivares and the Seton Hall product motored around the bases for the Sixers third inside-the-park round-tripper of the year and a 5-1 lead. It was Jenkins first pro homer in his 178th game played. The Sixers added a run in the seventh on Zane Gurwitz' RBI single and two more in the eighth on David MacKinnon's two-run single making it 8-1. MacKinnon finished 2-for-3 with two walks, a double and two RBI. The Storm (64-71, 30-35) got two runs in the ninth against Michael Santos who picked up a four inning save, his first. Inland Empire (66-69, 33-32) gained a game on Lancaster but still trail by three games with five to play for the final playoff spot in the South Division of the Cal League.
The Sixers regular season home finale is on Thursday at 7:05 versus the Storm. The contest can be heard live on 66ers.com.
