Late Visalia Rally Dooms Quakes

Rancho Cucamonga, CA – The Rawhide tallied two in the eighth and got an insurance run in the ninth, coming from behind to defeat the Quakes on Thursday night, 4-2 at LoanMart Field.

Hector Martinez and Yunior Garcia each swatted a solo homer, but Rancho couldn’t muster any late offense, as they left the bases loaded in the eighth and the tying run at the plate in the ninth, dropping their second game to Visalia this week.

Leading 2-1 in the eighth, after Garcia broke a 1-1 tie in the seventh with his sixth homer of the year, Rancho reliever Kelvin Bautista (0-4) walked the leadoff hitter, then gave up an RBI single to S.P. Chen, tying the game at 2-2. After a wild pitch moved Chen to second, Deyvison De Los Santos delivered the go-ahead hit, putting Visalia up for good at 3-2.

They’d add a run in the ninth inning, thanks to an error, as that made it a two-run deficit in the last of the ninth for the Rancho bats.

Visalia reliever Junior Mieses, who got the final two outs in the eighth and stranded the bases loaded, gave up a leadoff double to Garcia to open the ninth. Mieses settled down though, striking out both Kenneth Betancourt and Martinez, before getting Austin Gauthier to pop up to end the game to earn his fifth save.

Visalia reliever Carlos Meza (6-2) got the win, recording just two outs in relief.

Rancho starter Maddux Bruns made a successful return from the Injured List, as he walked one batter over two hitless innings, finishing with three strikeouts.

Rancho reliever Huei-Sheng Lin was brilliant over five relief innings on Thursday, allowing just one run on two hits while striking out a career-high eight.

On Friday, the Quakes will send Benony Robles (3-2) to the hill, opposite Visalia’s Yilber Diaz (1-1) at 6:30pm, for game four of the six-game set.

Friday is Walker Buehler Bobblehead Giveaway to 1500 fans. Gates open at 5:30pm. Tickets are available at rcquakes.com. We hope to see you at LoanMart Field...Go Quakes!