Rancho Cucamonga Quakes Slip Past the High Desert Mavericks for a 6-5 Victory
Monday, May 19, 2008 at 02:38PM MLN Newswire - www.mlntherawfeed.com – Rancho Cucamonga, CA- For 6 2/3 innings, Rancho starter Tommy Mendoza held the High Desert Maverick offense hitless, but the Mavericks rallied in the final innings only to fall short 6-5. Rancho held on for the win and improved to 18-26 on the season, despite High Desert scoring five runs in the final three innings.
Quakes hitters had a hard time figuring out Mavericks starter Keith Renaud the first time through the lineup, but in the fourth inning Rancho took a 2-0 lead on a two-run single to right by shortstop P.J. Phillips.
With a 2-0 lead, Rancho added three more runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to take a 5-0 lead. The Quakes took advantage of two Maverick errors in the inning. Flint Wipke reached on an error by shortstop Ogui Diaz to lead off the inning. Wil Ortiz followed with a single to right field and Flint Wipke came home and scored on a throwing error by Renaud on a sacrifice bunt by Tadd Brewer giving the Quakes a 3-0 lead. Rosario then walked loading the bases with no outs. Peter Bourjos followed with a single to right bringing home Ortiz. Anthony Norman hit a sacrifice fly to center field bringing the third run of the inning home and giving the Quakes a 5-0 advantage.
Renaud (0-7) gave up five runs, three earned, on five hits, in five innings of work before Aaron Cotter came in to pitch in relief.
Tommy Mendoza was cruising through the High Desert lineup until the seventh inning when he gave up his first hit, a two-run home run to Greg Halman with two outs. The home run was Halman’s 11th of the season. Mendoza pitched seven innings while allowing two runs on one hit and improved his record to 3-3 on the season.
The Quakes answered back in the bottom of the seventh inning on an RBI single to left field by Anthony Norman giving the Quakes a 6-2 lead.
The Mavericks came back with two more runs in the eighth on a two-run double to left field by Leury Bonilla, and added one more run in the ninth inning, but it was not enough as the Quakes held on to win 6-5. Barret Browning threw 1.1 innings in relief to convert his 5th save in six tries.
Amalio Diaz (1-3, 6.14 ERA) gets the start in the series finale Monday against High Desert at 10:35.
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