Convincing shut-out win for Quakes

Rancho Cucamonga, CA- Quakes pitching shut down the Stockton offense on Wednesday night and was backed by a twelve-hit performance, as Rancho shut out the Ports by an 8-0 final, evening the three-game series.
The top of the Quakes order gave starting pitcher Chris Mathewson an early lead with some help from the long ball.
On the first pitch of his at-bat, Gavin Lux opened Rancho's first inning with a solo home run to center field, putting the Quakes up 1-0. Rylan Bannon then walked and Omar Estevez drove a two-run home run to left, extending the lead to 3-0.
Backed by an early lead, Mathewson pitched four shut-out innings for the Quakes and did not walk a single hitter over his second start of the season. Isaac Anderson, who replaced Mathewson in the fifth, worked through the seventh while striking out five in his first win of 2018.
The Quakes added an additional run in the fifth, after Estevez tripled and scored on a Jeren Kendall RBI double, pushing the lead to 4-0.
Rancho put the game out of reach thanks to a pair of two-run knocks in the seventh inning. Estevez drove home Cody Thomas and Rylan Bannon on a single, while Kendall followed with a two-run home run to put the game on ice at 8-0. Estevez wound up 4-for-4 with four RBI's and three runs scored, finishing a double shy of the cycle on Wednesday night.
Parker Curry closed the game allowing three hits over two shutout innings on the back end of Rancho's bullpen effort.
On the mound for Stockton, Jake Bray (1-2) allowed four Rancho runs over 4.2 innings and was charged with his second loss on the season. Out of the bullpen, Brendan Butler allowed all four runs to the Quakes in the seventh inning before departing.
Wednesday night's victory forces the rubber match in the series scheduled for 7:05 PM on Thursday. Rancho will turn to starting pitcher Andrew Sopko (2-3) in his tenth start of the season and he will be opposed by Stockton right-hander Dustin Hurlbutt (0-0).
Join us at LoanMart Field for Thirsty Thursday with $2 Pepsi products, $3 domestic drafts and $4 premium drafts along with wine and margaritas. Tickets are available at rcquakes.com or by calling (909)-481-5000.