Quakes Remain in Wild Card Lead Despite Loss
Rancho Cucamonga, CA - The Lancaster JetHawks tallied a run in the top of the 11th inning, then held on to defeat the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes by a final of 3-2 at LoanMart Field on Friday evening.
A sold-out crowd of 5,311 watched an exceptional pitcher's duel, with a second appearance from Dodgers' rehabbing outfielder Matt Kemp.
Kemp went hitless for a second straight game, going 0-for-3 and making him 0-for-8 in two games on this current rehab appearance.
JonMichael Redding, in his final start of the regular season, worked into the seventh inning, allowing just two runs.
The JetHawks broke a scoreless tie in the fifth, as Brandon Meredith's ground-rule double chased Joe Sclafani to third base. A Redding wild pitch scored Sclafani to make it a 1-0 game. An RBI single by Jesse Wierzbicki brought home Meredith to make it 2-0.
Chris Jacobs answered for the Quakes in the bottom of the inning, as he crushed Brady Rodgers' first offering over the left-center field fence, his 14th of the year, putting the Quakes on the board at 2-1.
The game remained 2-1 until the ninth, when Bobby Coyle, Jr. tripled off the top of the right-center field fence to lead off the inning. After a Darnell Sweeney strikeout, Pedro Guerrero was inserted at third base as a pinch-runner. O'Koyea Dickson followed with a sac fly to left field off of Tommy Shirley, evening the game at 2-2.
In the 11th, Quakes' reliever Juan Noriega (1-2) got himself into trouble with a lead-off walk. That walk later scored from third on a Chris Epps' sac fly, putting the JetHawks ahead to stay, 3-2.
Scott Wingo opened the bottom of the 11th with a single off of Kenny Long (2-0), but the Quakes couldn't push across the equalizer. Noel Cuevas struck out looking, before Pedro Guerrero grounded into a fielder's choice for out number two. Long followed by striking out Sweeney looking to end the game, sending manager Carlos Subero into a heated exchange with home plate umpire Ben Guttenberger after the game was over.
Despite the loss, the Quakes (32-35, 63-74) remain a game up on High Desert in the wild card chase, as the Mavericks dropped a 13-6 decision at home to Lake Elsinore.
The Quakes will host the JetHawks again on Saturday, with Matt Kemp expected to be in the lineup for a third straight game. Matt Shelton (5-2) will take on lefty Colton Cain (3-0) at 7:05pm.
Tickets are available to Saturday's Fireworks Spectacular, courtesy of LoanMart, with 1,500 fans taking home a LoanMart Field Replica. Tickets for Saturday's action are available by calling (909) 481-5000 or online at rcquakes.com. We hope to see you very soon at LoanMart Field. Go Quakes!