Quakes' Law hits in 14th straight game

Adam Law's late-April success has special meaning for the Dodgers prospect.

"It does mean a lot, especially because I think I was 3-for-my-first-20 or 22 or something like that," said Law, who was actually merely 3-for-19 to start the season.

Law, a 2013 Organization All-Star in his debut season, has been on an absolute tear since. He went 2-for-4 with an RBI in Class A Advanced Rancho Cucamonga's 3-0 win over Lancaster on Saturday night, extending his hitting streak to 14 games.

The hitting streak is tied for the longest in the California League this season. It's also the longest active streak in the circuit, as Kevin Medrano's 14-game run ended in the second game of Visalia's doubleheader on Saturday. Law began his streak on April 10 and has been raking at a .389 clip to raise his average to .333.

"I don't really think about [hitting in consecutive games]," Law said. "All I think about is trying to win every at-bat and putting a good swing on the pitches I swing at. I try to hit the ball hard and, fortunately, a few of the times I've done that the baseball has fallen in for a hit."

Law, the Quakes' leadoff man, also has hit safely in the first at-bat of each of the last five games, having poked a grounder up the middle to open Saturday's victory.

"I'll tell you the most important thing to me [in the leadoff at-bat] is getting on base," said the Dodgers' 2013 12th-round pick. "The second-most important thing is seeing a lot of pitches to help my teammates get a feel for the pitcher and what kind of pitches he's throwing and what his timing is.

"Whether I get a hit or I see a lot of pitches but get out, either way is OK with me. My goal is to make the next at-bat for the guy behind me better for him than it was for me -- whether I get out or whether I'm standing on base. I think that's a good mentality for any leadoff hitter to have."

The Brigham Young product has been able to do those things with relative consistency since the end of his slump, which he put behind him after making two adjustments with Rancho Cucamonga manager P.J. Forbes and hitting coach Mike Eylward.

"The first was to hit behind the baseball. That was about not lunging forward with my hips and instead staying back, so I can hit from behind where the ball is," Law explained. "The second was to use my hands more. When I was swinging, I was involving my body a little too much. I was able to get through to the ball with my hands on those swings."

For his second hit Saturday, he beat out a two-out grounder to third base that scored James Baldwin.

Law is the son of former All-Star Vance Law, who played 11 big league seasons, and the grandson of 1960 Cy Young Award winner Vern Law, who pitched for the Pirates from 1950-67, minus a two-year stint in which he served in Korea.

"I talk to both of them almost daily. They're both part of a huge support system for me," the 24-year-old said. "Both of them faithfully listen to every game. They know all my tendencies, without even seeing the game, just by listening. They know if I'm popping out to right, it means I'm getting down [under the ball] early.

"They're both guys who've been there and played this game a lot longer than I have. They've always been in my corner. It's more mental support than it is physical -- they know all about the grind and they can help me a lot with the mental aspect."

Lindsey Caughel (1-2) earned his first win of the season with seven solid inning. He scattered five hits and a walk while striking out five.

"That start was huge for us. He was living in the strike zone and going after guys. He'd pitched well [before], but not really put it all together," Law said. "It's huge for us to get a boost like that from our starting pitcher because we've lost a lot of close ballgames."