JetHawks' Hilliard homers in third straight game

Sam Hilliard has been one of the California League's most consistent hitters all season. He took that to a new level this weekend by homering in three straight games.
"No doubt, it's a lot of fun right now. I feel like I'm in a groove at the plate," Colorado's No. 26 prospect said. "It's a matter of me not trying to do too much and sticking to my approach. I'm keeping my focus on driving the ball hard to the middle of the field." 
Hilliard also doubled during a four-RBI showing in Class A Advanced Lancaster's 13-10 loss to visiting Inland Empire on Sunday. Top Rockies prospect Brendan Rodgers, ranked 10th overall, went 3-for-5 with a double, an RBI and a run scored, stretching his hitting streak to 19 games and raising his batting average to .402.

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"I think it's just ridiculous how good he's swinging the bat right now," Hilliard said of Rodgers, who's logged three or more hits in 11 of his 42 games with 32 extra-base hits over that span.
"Hitting behind him in the lineup, it seems like he's always in scoring position when I come up. He's really helping my RBI numbers, because every I time come up, he's on second. I can't say enough about the way he's been swinging the bat. It's really fun to watch."
The 23-year-old outfielder has hit safely in five consecutive games, and over the four-game set against the 66ers, he went 9-for-20 (.450) with five extra-base hits, 11 RBIs and four runs scored. On the season, Hilliard's batting .313/.386/.540 with 11 dingers and 16 steals.
The left-handed hitter battled righty Jose Rodriguez for five pitches in the third inning, socking the last into right field for a double.
"It was more of a bloop down the line," Hilliard said. "It's always good to get the first hit out of the way, and then you can focus up at the next at-bat."
With two on and two down one frame later, the 2015 15th-rounder swatted Rodriguez's 3-0 offering out of the yard in right-center.
"I looked down at [manager Fred Ocasio coaching third base], and he gave me the sign to go ahead and swing away. He usually gives me the take sign in that situation," Hilliard said. "That got me fired up, because I never get to swing [on 3-0]. [Rodriguez] threw a fastball over the plate, and I was cheating on it. It was pretty high, so I tried to get out of the box and run hard, but I knew I hit it pretty good."
That dinger capped a six-run rally.

"Honestly, it's no surprise lately," the Wichita State product said. "With a lineup like we've got, once we get rolling, we can score six, seven runs in an inning easily." 
Hilliard drove in his final run of the game with a groundout to 66ers second baseman Cody Ramer in the eighth.
Ramer went 4-for-5 with three runs scored and two RBIs, falling a triple shy of the cycle for Inland Empire. Seventh-ranked Angels prospect Taylor Ward was 3-for-6 with a double, two runs scored and an RBI. He's batting .271.
Rodriguez (6-5) allowed seven runs on 10 hits and two walks while striking out two over five innings for the win.