2021 game notes Friday, July 2nd, 2021 6:50 PM Contact: Mike Lindskog Game #51, Road Game #27 [email protected] Fresno, CA Rancho Cucamonga QuakeS (25-25) AT Fresno Grizzlies (32-19) RHP Gavin Stone (0-1, 4.32 ERA) vs. RHP Mike Ruff (4-2, 5.13 ERA) TODAY’S GAME: The Quakes continue their longest road trip of the year today, with game ten of a 12-game, 14-day swing up DIVISION STANDINGS north, as they take on the Fresno Grizzlies in game four of a six-game set. Rancho is now just 2-7 on the road trip and will need to win the remaining three games in order to not only take the series, but since this is the only series between the two teams this year, NORTH W L PCT GB San Jose 35 16 .686 - win the season-long series, which is important in the tie-breaking procedures for the newly-revamped 2021 playoffs. Fresno 32 19 .627 3 LAST GAME: Fresno starter Breiling Eusebio took a no-hitter into the eighth inning and the Fresno Grizzlies won their second Modesto 29 22 .569 6 straight game over the Quakes, beating Rancho by a final of 4-2 on Thursday night at Chukchansi Park. Sauryn Lao broke up the Stockton 21 30 .412 14 near-historic effort with a lead-off homer in the eighth, his seventh of the year. Wladimir Chalo followed with a solo-shot of his own, his second, to finally chase Eusebio. The next six batters went in order as two Fresno relievers did the trick, with Stephen Jones SOUTH W L PCT GB earning his fourth save with a 1-2-3 ninth. The Fresno offense smacked three round-trippers for the second straight game, as Grant Rancho Cucamonga 25 25 .500 - Lavigne, Mateo Gil and Zac Veen all went deep. Inland Empire 24 26 .480 1 BIZZARRO SERIES: Coming into this series, it was easy to see Fresno’s strengths and weaknesses. Fresno was tops in the league Lake Elsinore 24 27 .471 1.5 in stolen bases with 96 and dead-last in the league in homers with 26 home runs coming in. So of course, the Grizzlies have smashed Visalia 13 38 .255 12.5 six homers over their last two games and waited until last night (game three) before stealing their first bases (two) of the series. The 2021 PLAYOFF STANDINGS one Fresno stat that has played out accurately is their pitching, as their ERA was amongst the league’s best and after giving up just two NORTH W L PCT GB runs over their last two outings, have moved into second in the league with a 3.85 ERA, second only to San Jose (3.71). San Jose 35 16 .686 - LIFE AFTER BRANDON LEWIS: The last two games in Fresno will remind everyone that INF Brandon Lewis’ promotion to Fresno 32 19 .627 3 High-A Great Lakes will hurt this offense in the short-term. After putting up just five hits combined over the last two games, Rancho Modesto 29 22 .569 6 is now hitting .243 as a team, currently sixth in the league. Lewis was among the league leaders in several offensive categories prior to Rancho Cucamonga 25 25 .500 9.5 his departure and carried a batting average of .278. Lewis debuted on Tuesday for Great Lakes and went 0-for-5. He collected his first ** Top two teams qualify for 2021 playoffs, regardless of division hit in Wednesday night’s win for the Loons, but is just 2-for-15 with eight K’s in his first three games overall. PLAYOFFS? YES, PLAYOFFS!: At the beginning of the 2021 season, it was understood that there would be no playoffs across YESTERDAY’S SCORES the country for all of Minor League , due to the ongoing global pandemic. In an article released by Baseball America earlier Fresno 4 Rancho Cucamonga 2 today, they confirmed that will implement a “revised” playoff plan, allowing each league to crown a champion Inland Empire 4 Lake Elsinore 3 with a playoff series. The playoffs will be shortened to a single series, that features the top two teams (by record), regardless of divi- Modesto 19 Visalia 10 sion. The Quakes currently sit fourth in the league, despite them owning the best record in the South Division. The top three teams San Jose 6 Stockton 2 in all of Low-A West currently reside up North, where San Jose has a three-game lead over Fresno and a six-game lead over Modesto. TODAY The Quakes are currently 6.5 games back of Fresno in that setting, with 70 games remaining in the 120-game season. That obviously makes this six-game series against Fresno a crucial one, as winning four-of-six would give the Quakes any potential tie-breaker over Modesto at Visalia, 6:00 PM the Grizzlies in the event of a tie for the second playoff spot. The 2022 season will see the league move to a 132-game schedule and Rancho Cucamonga at Fresno, 6:50 PM the first-half and second-half winners of each respective division meet in the playoffs. Inland Empire at Lake Elsinore, 7:05 PM GOODBYE LANCASTER, HELLO FRESNO: This six-game set marks the first time that the Quakes and Fresno Grizzlies are San Jose at Stockton, 7:05 PM meeting in history, as this is the one and only series between the two teams in 2021. With Major League Baseball’s initiative to reduce the minor leagues to 120 teams before the start of the 2021 season, the Lancaster JetHawks were eliminated from the then- TOMORROW League. Taking their spot in the newly-renamed Low-A West League are the Fresno Grizzlies, who join the league from the former Modesto at Visalia, 6:30 PM Triple-A , where they were members since 1998. The home of the Grizzlies is Chukchansi Park, which seats a San Jose at Stockton, 6:30 PM more Triple-A appropriate crowd of 10,000-plus fans. The Lancaster JetHawks were affiliated with the for the final Inland Empire at Lake Elsinore, 6:35 PM four years in the Cal League. This made Colorado the only affiliate left in Low-A West and they ended up being the only choice for Rancho Cucamonga at Fresno, 6:50 PM Fresno. The Grizzlies were a Giants’ affiliate from 1998-2014 and then won their only PCL title as a ’ affiliate in 2015. They spent their final two years in the PCL as a ’ affiliate, prior to dropping three levels in 2021. 2021 QUAKES AT A GLANCE GAVIN STONE: Rancho will try to stop their two-game skid, sending Gavin Stone to the mound for his 11th appearance and tenth 1st Half Record: 25-25 start. Stone’s last appearance was in San Jose on 6/26, taking his first loss of the year, by allowing four runs (three earned) on two hits 2nd Half Record: 0-0 with three walks over 3.2 innings. Stone was originally drafted by the Dodgers in the 2020 draft (fifth round) out of Central Arkansas. vs Fresno: 1-2 MIKE RUFF: Fresno will go with Mike Ruff tonight, as he makes his 11th appearance of the year. In his last outing, Ruff allowed vs Fresno Home: 0-0 four runs on six hits with four walks in a no-decision at Visalia on 6/26. Originally a 11th round pick in 2019 out of Florida Atlantic. vs Fresno Road: 1-2 NEW RADIO HOME: Throughout the 2021 season, you can catch all the action from the ease of your phone or computer. Listen online at rcquakes.com and the iHeartRadio app (Keyword: Quakes) with the “Voice of the Quakes” Mike Lindskog and Davis Elling- Home Record: 13-11 ton. To listen LIVE at LoanMart Field, tune your portable FM radio to 91.3 FM. Road Record: 12-14 HOME GAMES: The Quakes will be returning to LoanMart Field to play host to the on July 6th, as the Storm Current Streak: L2 will be making their first trip to Rancho Cucamonga this season. Tickets are available at rcquakes.com. Probable Quakes Lineup UPCOMING GAMES AND PROBABLES 1. #7 E. Mateo CF Date Opp Pitching Probables Time Radio 2. #3 S. McWilliams 2B 3. #17 D. Cartaya C 7/3 at Fresno RHP Robbie Peto vs. RHP Anderson Amarista 6:50 PM RCQuakes.com 4. #6 A. De Jesus DH 5. #10 7/4 at Fresno RHP Jimmy Lewis vs. LHP Sam Weatherly 6:35 PM RCQuakes.com E. Leonard SS 6. #18 I. Vargas 1B 7. #5 S. Lao 3B 7/6 vs Lake Elsinore TBD vs. RHP Kendall Williams 6:30 PM RCQuakes.com 8. #25 A. de Jongh LF 7/7 vs Lake Elsinore TBD vs. RHP Carlos Duran 6:30 PM RCQuakes.com 9. #8 I. Alcantara RF P. #44 G. Stone RHP