Barlow fans 11 as Quakes take Game 2

A Game 1 victory was big for Rancho Cucamonga. It would have felt incomplete without securing Game 2.

Behind a career-high 11 strikeouts over seven innings from Dodgers No. 28 prospect Scott Barlow, the Quakes ensured they'd leave home with a series lead, hanging on for a 4-3 win over San Jose and a 2-0 cushion in the best-of-5 California League Finals.

"It's a big deal winning Game 1, and winning Game 2 gives a lot of momentum to us," said Barlow, who gave up a run on four hits without issuing a walk. "We're really bonding as a team right now. The chemistry is really high, especially coming from the High Desert series. That was pretty crazy, and I think that brought us together a lot."

Having rallied for a walk-off win in the decisive fifth game of the South Division finals, Rancho Cucamonga understood the importance of capturing both games at home before heading to San Jose for the next three, if necessary. Barlow (1-1) gave the Quakes what they needed.

The 22-year-old right-hander didn't allow a baserunner until the fifth, when San Jose scored a run on two hits, and racked up strikeouts throughout. He struck out the side in the second and fanned multiple hitters in three other innings. Barlow finished his night by inducing a double-play ball off the bat of Ty Ross to end the seventh.

"I've never gone into a game thinking about getting a bunch of strikeouts," he said. "The thing that really worked for me and [catcher Spencer] Navin tonight was commanding the ball really well, especially fastballs. I felt like I threw probably 80-90 percent fastballs, and when we'd get ahead, we threw some off-speed, mostly sliders. It was mostly command and executing pitches when I needed to."

The victory wasn't without late theatrics. Joshua Sborz allowed two runs on four hits and threw three wild pitches in the ninth but got Ross to hit into his second double play to end the game with the potential tying run at second. It was his second postseason save.

"We weren't really worried too much in the dugout," Barlow said. "I had full faith in him. I wasn't really worried because Sborzy, he's going to do his job."

The Quakes had broken through for three runs in the seventh, with Jacob Scavuzzo delivering an RBI single to snap a 1-1 tie and Dodgers No. 7 prospect Alex Verdugo contributing a two-out, two-run single. 

Rancho Cucamonga heads to San Jose needing one way for its first championship since 1994.

"We don't want to put any more pressure on ourselves," Barlow said. "There's really no pressure, we just need to know that. I think our team chemistry is really good right now and we're going into these next couple of games playing like it's Game 1."

The Giants head home in familiar territory. They returned to Municipal Stadium trailing Visalia, 2-0, in the North Division finals before rallying for three straight victories to improve to 4-0 when facing elimination. 

Game 3 is Saturday night.