Quakes Power Past Giants In Game 1 Rout

RANCHO CUCAMONGA, CA - The Rancho Cucamonga Quakes scored 12 runs over the fifth, sixth and seventh innings on their way to a 12-3 blowout victory over the San Jose Giants in Game 1 of the Championship Series on Thursday evening at LoanMart Field. The Quakes overcame an early 2-0 deficit scoring twice in the bottom of the fifth to tie the game before taking control of the contest with a seven-run bottom of the sixth.

Game 2 of the best-of-five Championship Series is scheduled for Friday night in Rancho Cucamonga. The series then shifts to Municipal Stadium in San Jose for Game 3 on Saturday.

Chuckie Jones (2-for-3, HR, 2 RBI) had a two hits, including a two-run home run, to lead the Giants offensively in defeat on Thursday.

Three Quakes - Paul Hoenecke, Tyler Ogle and Jared Scavuzzo - each homered as part of a 14-hit offensive outburst.

San Jose jumped out to a 2-0 lead with a pair of runs in the top of the third against Rancho Cucamonga starter Chase De Jong. With one out, Seth Harrison lined a single into right center - the Giants' first hit of the game. Jones then stepped to the plate and hammered a two-run homer to left. The home run was Jones' first of the postseason.

Martin Agosta started on the mound for San Jose and began his night with four scoreless innings. The right-hander worked around a hit by pitch in the bottom of the first and a two-out single in the second. Agosta then breezed through a 1-2-3 bottom of the third after the Giants had taken the lead in the top of the inning. He had retired six straight Quakes hitters until Alex Verdugo singled with two outs in the bottom of the fourth, but recovered to strikeout the next hitter, Ogle, to end the inning.

With the score still 2-0, Agosta returned to the mound for the bottom of the fifth. Hoenecke led off for Rancho Cucamonga and belted a pitch from the San Jose hurler over the fence in deep center for a solo homer. The rally continued with one out when Devan Ahart singled before a Tim Locastro double down the left field line put runners on second and third. Willie Calhoun then lifted a sacrifice fly into right plating Ahart with the tying run. Agosta did prevent further damage in the inning when he struck out Scavuzzo swinging to strand the potential go-ahead run at third.

Meanwhile, De Jong settled down after giving up the early home run. He kept the Giants off the scoreboard from the fourth through the sixth frames allowing just a Jones single during the three innings. The Quakes then took their first lead of the game with an eruption in the bottom of the sixth. Agosta struck out Cody Bellinger to start the inning before Verdugo's grounder to shortstop was mishandled by Christian Arroyo for an error. Ogle then launched a towering home run to left center putting Rancho Cucamonga in front by a 4-2 margin. The home was Ogle's first of the playoffs after hitting 20 during the regular season.

Jose Reyes was then summoned from the bullpen, but the San Jose reliever retired only one out of the eight batters he faced as the Quakes blew the game open. Hoenecke followed the home run by drawing a walk and then immediately scored when then next batter, Joey Curletta, doubled. After Ahart popped out and Locastro walked, Calhoun lined an RBI single into center to make it 6-2. Scavuzzo followed by smacking a deep home run to left center for a 9-2 Rancho Cucamonga advantage. The next two batters then reached against Reyes (1/3 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 0 SO) prompting another pitching change as Carlos Diaz entered and was able to get out of the inning.

The Quakes sent 13 batters to the plate in the bottom of the sixth and scored seven runs on five hits and four walks.

Rancho Cucamonga then pushed across three more runs in the bottom of the seventh against Diaz (1 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 1 SO). RBI singles from Calhoun and Bellinger plated the first two runs of the frame before a Verdugo RBI groundout made it 12-2.

San Jose's final run of the night came in the top of the eighth when Jones drew a leadoff walk, moved all the way to third on Brandon Bednar's groundout and scored when Arroyo grounded out.

Giants utility infielder John Polonius pitched a 1-2-3 bottom of the eighth.

De Jong (1-0) picked-up the win after tossing six innings with two runs (both earned) and just three hits allowed. He walked two and struck out six.

Agosta (0-1) was charged with four runs (three earned) on six hits over 5 1/3 innings to take the loss. He struck out seven and did not issue a walk.

Notes:
* Rancho Cucamonga out-hit San Jose 14-5.
* The Quakes were 5-for-12 with runners in scoring position (Giants 0-for-3).
* After scoring no runs on two hits over the first four innings, Rancho Cucamonga scored 12 runs on 13 hits from the fifth through the seventh.
* San Jose's 12 runs allowed was their most given up since a 12-2 loss on May 28 at High Desert.

On Deck: The Giants and Quakes play Game 2 of the Championship Series on Friday evening with first pitch at LoanMart Field scheduled for 7:05 PM. Jordan Johnson (2-3, 4.31 ERA) is slated to start on the mound for San Jose while Rancho Cucamonga is expected to counter with Scott Barlow (8-3, 2.52 ERA). The game can be heard live on sjgiants.com with coverage beginning at 6:35 PM.