In possibly the least surprising news of the year, earlier it was announced that Anaheim signed Inland Empire to a player development contract through 2012. The Angels were previously partnered with Rancho Cucamonga from 2001-2010.
Inland Empire had been affiliated with Los Angeles for the last four years. It was the second time these two have paired up, a six year stint from 1995-2000. In the more recent four year relationship, the 66ers went 249-311 with two playoff appearances. It wasn't quite as memorable as their first partnership that was bookended by championships plus another finals appearance in the middle. In 2009 and 2010, the on-field product did not produce a great record, and the total of 109 wins is the fewest of any two year stretch since the franchise moved to San Bernardino.
Over the past four years, 13 66ers have eventually reached the majors. Some of the bigger names, such as Blake DeWitt, Carlos Santana and Josh Bell now play in other organizations, but the Dodgers have developed some bullpen arms that are still around, particularly 2010 66er Kenley Jansen. That number will surely rise in a few years when more guys have an opportunity to rise through the system and reach the majors, but what the 66ers have become notable for lately are their major league rehab appearances. Manny Ramirez has appeared with Inland Empire in both 2009 and 2010, and the oft-injured Jason Schmidt has also made quite a few starts.
"We are very proud to be a part of such an outstanding organization with well known management and an excellent record. We know our fans will appreciate this great opportunity," said David Elmore, Owner of the Inland Empire 66ers.
"The Angel organization is excited to begin our relationship with the Inland Empire 66ers,' said Angels Director of Player Development Abe Flores. "They have a first rate ballpark and front office as well as passionate fans that continually support the club. It is our hope to cultivate a relationship with the City of San Bernardino and embrace fans throughout the Inland Empire."
I don't think either team wanted this situation, but it is what it is, and it's probably still favorable for both. The stadium is slightly farther away, but it's not like Angels' staff has to fly across the country to see their players play. It's still easy access for the team, and the training complex and AAA team are in the region in case transactions are necessary. It's a slightly less desirable location, but the 66ers have good fan support.
As an outside observer, my assumption is that the Dodgers brand might be more attractive to people. As I mentioned in the previous entry though, where the prospects come from probably doesn't affect the casual fan's desire to see a team. Ultimately, I think switching from the Dodgers to the Angels will be a wash for the 66ers, especially since the teams are so close to each other. Both franchises are in the vicinity of their parent clubs, and the local support is always helpful.
That leaves Cincinnati and Bakersfield. I'll write about it when it becomes official, but neither team has a choice at this point. We now know how the Cal League will look for the next two seasons.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Dodgers Sign Rancho Cucamonga To Two-Year PDC
Earlier today it was announced that Los Angeles signed Rancho Cucamonga to a player development contract through 2012. The Dodgers were previously partnered with Inland Empire from 2007-2010.
Rancho Cucamonga had been affiliated with Anaheim for the last 10 years. It was great stability for the franchise that has been affiliated with 14 different teams since 1946. The 10 years with the Angels were the longest the franchise has ever been with a parent club even though the partnership almost ended after the first two seasons. The Quakes went 658-742 in those 10 years with four playoff appearances. They made the postseason in their last two years with the Angels, including a thrilling championship series loss to San Jose in 2010. They did not win a championship as an Anaheim affiliate.
A number of Angels have made the majors after passing through Rancho Cucamonga. About 48 players have made appearances with the Quakes before beginning their major league careers including Mike Napoli, Jeff Mathis, Bobby Jenks, Casey Kotchman, Ervin Santana, Joe Saunders, Erick Aybar, Howie Kendrick, Kendry Morales and Jered Weaver. That includes a lot of players that only got a cup of coffee in the big leagues, but that's still an impressive number. The Angels have leaned on their farm system throughout the years, and it's led to consistent success over the past decade. The Quakes have also hosted some rehab appearances over the years including Torii Hunter, Scott Kazmir, Vlad Guerrero and Garret Anderson.
"The Dodgers are one of the most prestigious teams in all of sports and we are excited to begin our partnership with them in Rancho Cucamonga," said Quakes Managing Partner Bobby Brett.
The Quakes hope to benefit from the parent club switch too. As I talked about in an earlier post, attendance for Rancho Cucamonga has been down lately. According to Future Angels, the new ownership group changed how attendance is counted which has led to the decreased numbers. However, they still decided they needed a spark, and they hope the Dodgers affiliation will help. The effect this will have is debatable and remains to be seen, but they hope that local fans will be interested in seeing Los Angeles prospects.
This leaves two parent clubs needing High A affiliates and two Cal League teams with openings: Bakersfield and Inland Empire. It seems likely that Anaheim will sign on with the 66ers to complete an affiliate swap with Los Angeles. That means Cincinnati and Bakersfield will end up being paired together. This should all wrap up in the next few days, and we'll have a clear picture of what the Cal League will look like in 2011 and 2012.
Rancho Cucamonga had been affiliated with Anaheim for the last 10 years. It was great stability for the franchise that has been affiliated with 14 different teams since 1946. The 10 years with the Angels were the longest the franchise has ever been with a parent club even though the partnership almost ended after the first two seasons. The Quakes went 658-742 in those 10 years with four playoff appearances. They made the postseason in their last two years with the Angels, including a thrilling championship series loss to San Jose in 2010. They did not win a championship as an Anaheim affiliate.
A number of Angels have made the majors after passing through Rancho Cucamonga. About 48 players have made appearances with the Quakes before beginning their major league careers including Mike Napoli, Jeff Mathis, Bobby Jenks, Casey Kotchman, Ervin Santana, Joe Saunders, Erick Aybar, Howie Kendrick, Kendry Morales and Jered Weaver. That includes a lot of players that only got a cup of coffee in the big leagues, but that's still an impressive number. The Angels have leaned on their farm system throughout the years, and it's led to consistent success over the past decade. The Quakes have also hosted some rehab appearances over the years including Torii Hunter, Scott Kazmir, Vlad Guerrero and Garret Anderson.
"The Dodgers are one of the most prestigious teams in all of sports and we are excited to begin our partnership with them in Rancho Cucamonga," said Quakes Managing Partner Bobby Brett.
"We feel like the move to Rancho Cucamonga not only brings our High-A partner closer to Dodger Stadium, but is a strong fit for our organizational goals," said Dodger Assistant General Manager De Jon Watson. "We're excited to partner with Brett Sports and look forward to a long-lasting relationship."
There's been buzz that this would happen lately, and today it became official. As De Jon Watson said, the Dodgers have something to gain from this change. The Epicenter is a little closer to Dodger Stadium, so it's pretty easy for the Dodgers' staff to travel and monitor players. It'll keep major leaguers in the area to rehab like they have with Inland Empire recently, and it's a very convenient situation for Los Angeles. Although Inland Empire's Arrowhead Credit Union Park was built later than Rancho Cucamonga's Epicenter, the Epicenter is generally considered to be a more desirable location.The Quakes hope to benefit from the parent club switch too. As I talked about in an earlier post, attendance for Rancho Cucamonga has been down lately. According to Future Angels, the new ownership group changed how attendance is counted which has led to the decreased numbers. However, they still decided they needed a spark, and they hope the Dodgers affiliation will help. The effect this will have is debatable and remains to be seen, but they hope that local fans will be interested in seeing Los Angeles prospects.
This leaves two parent clubs needing High A affiliates and two Cal League teams with openings: Bakersfield and Inland Empire. It seems likely that Anaheim will sign on with the 66ers to complete an affiliate swap with Los Angeles. That means Cincinnati and Bakersfield will end up being paired together. This should all wrap up in the next few days, and we'll have a clear picture of what the Cal League will look like in 2011 and 2012.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Thank You Readers
It's been a great (and long) season, but now that it's over, it's time to take a bit of a break. I probably won't do anything for the site for a couple weeks except cover PDC news when it comes, which should be very soon. Besides that, I want to have a little time off after spending nearly six months writing previews, reviews, listening to games and generally trying to be productive.
When I feel like updating more regularly again, it probably still won't be as frequent as during the season, but I still have a few plans. I think I'll write a 2010 review of every team and update the prospect tracker one last time early on this fall. I want to cover the winter leagues, especially the AFL since it's easier to find information on that. If I ever have time and just feel like writing, I'll start up the "Cal League Class of..." series again that I neglected the final 80% of the season. Hopefully that can sustain this site until the end of March 2011 when it's time to start thinking about the upcoming season.
Thanks to the readers who came here and found the site informative and interesting. There probably aren't many out there, but I know there are some, so thanks. In addition, thanks to Greg Young, Donny Baarns, Alex Freedman, Mike Lindskog for supplying me with info during the season and helping me be as informative and factual as possible. The rest of the league's PBP guys also do a good job, and I'm glad they make the games accessible to fans thousands of miles away and help make this site possible.
I don't want this to become similar to an awards speech, but thanks to the players and coaches for a great season and ultimately being the ones responsible for entertaining baseball. I'm sure some players and coaches will be back in this league for 2011, but a lot will be moving on.
I know there are parents, friends, family and even former coaches that use this blog for updates to keep tabs on their sons, friends, relatives and former players, and I hope I was helpful this season. Good luck to everyone in 2011, hopefully in AA and on their way to the majors.
So it's going to be a bit inactive here for a little bit, but there will be occasional updates in the offseason. I'll always be on Twitter, but I doubt I'll have much to say without games being played. If you have any comments or questions, feel free to ask on there.
When I feel like updating more regularly again, it probably still won't be as frequent as during the season, but I still have a few plans. I think I'll write a 2010 review of every team and update the prospect tracker one last time early on this fall. I want to cover the winter leagues, especially the AFL since it's easier to find information on that. If I ever have time and just feel like writing, I'll start up the "Cal League Class of..." series again that I neglected the final 80% of the season. Hopefully that can sustain this site until the end of March 2011 when it's time to start thinking about the upcoming season.
Thanks to the readers who came here and found the site informative and interesting. There probably aren't many out there, but I know there are some, so thanks. In addition, thanks to Greg Young, Donny Baarns, Alex Freedman, Mike Lindskog for supplying me with info during the season and helping me be as informative and factual as possible. The rest of the league's PBP guys also do a good job, and I'm glad they make the games accessible to fans thousands of miles away and help make this site possible.
I don't want this to become similar to an awards speech, but thanks to the players and coaches for a great season and ultimately being the ones responsible for entertaining baseball. I'm sure some players and coaches will be back in this league for 2011, but a lot will be moving on.
I know there are parents, friends, family and even former coaches that use this blog for updates to keep tabs on their sons, friends, relatives and former players, and I hope I was helpful this season. Good luck to everyone in 2011, hopefully in AA and on their way to the majors.
So it's going to be a bit inactive here for a little bit, but there will be occasional updates in the offseason. I'll always be on Twitter, but I doubt I'll have much to say without games being played. If you have any comments or questions, feel free to ask on there.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
San Jose Giants Win 2010 Championship
For the past decade or so, the San Jose Giants have made it look easy in the Cal League. From 1998 to 2009, the team won five championships, made the playoffs nine times and only finished below .500 three times. They won over 82 games five times in that span, culminating in a 93 win season in 2009. For the first half of 2010, it looked effortless for the Giants again. Of course the roster for a minor league team changes year to year, and the coaching staff isn't always the same either. However, the San Francisco organization always seems to have talent at this level, and the fans respond by coming to games year after year.
This time it wasn't easy though; Rancho Cucamonga fought hard in the five game series and almost won it themselves. It took until the 10th inning of game five for a champion to be decided, and it was the Giants winning their second straight championship for the first time in team history. Jason Stoffel earned the win, pitching his longest and perhaps most effective outing of the season. With one out in the 8th inning, Rancho Cucamonga just tied the game with two runs and had the bases loaded again. Stoffel got Luis Jimenez to strike out and Gabe Jacobo to pop up to get out of the jam.
Both teams had opportunities in the 9th, but neither could come through. The Giants had two runners in scoring position with one out after an Ehire Adrianza sac bunt, but Eddie McKiernan made a tough play on a roller down the first base line to record an out at home and then struck out James Simmons to end the inning. In the bottom half of the inning, Matt Long stole second base, his second steal of the game. However, with two outs and Jon Townsend at the plate, Long was caught stealing 3rd to end the inning. Who knows if Townsend would've delivered the winning hit, but the Quakes didn't get a chance to find out.
In the 10th, Juan Perez hit a check swing triple down the first base line with one out. It wasn't his best swing of the game, but baseball is a funny game. On this day, the Giants were the beneficiaries. Charlie Culberson hit a sac fly to bring the run in, and Jason Stoffel recorded three more outs to win the championship but not without a little drama. With two outs, Stoffel hit Mike Trout, and he stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error. However, Darwin Perez struck out to end the season.
That was how the game ended, but the first seven and a half innings were a battle as well. The game was started by a couple guys no one would've expected to be starting a game five a year ago. Neither starter was great, but they both gave their team a chance to win considering the circumstances. Justin Fitzgerald, who prior to April 2010 hadn't started a game since high school, started on short rest. He finished with 164.2 IP this season counting the playoffs, which is more than twice as many as the rest of his pro career. He was opposed by Kyle Hurst, another pitcher who was used to pitching out of the bullpen. He was moved to the rotation at the end of the season, and despite not pitching in 17 days, gave the Quakes four solid innings.
Rancho Cucamonga took a quick lead in the first on a Gabe Jacobo sac fly. Fitzgerald wasn't sharp early, and the Quakes took advantage of a pitcher that could've been a bit tired at this point in the season. In the top of the second, fans got a taste of how back and forth this game would be when San Jose took a 2-1 lead on Brandon Crawford's second home run of the series. Of course the game would soon be tied again after Luis Jimenez hit an RBI triple in the 3rd. This was the nature of the game; Giants scored two in the 5th, the Quakes responded with one in the bottom half. The same thing happened in the 7th inning, and then Rancho Cucamonga's final comeback in 2010 began in the 8th.
No one ever wants this to be the case, but umpires were a part of the story Tuesday night. A number of controversial calls took place during the game, but one good thing is they huddled up and discussed the calls to try and get them right. This one didn't come back to hurt the Giants because they scored on a walk anyway, but a pitch thrown inside by Chris Scholl went to the backstop. Johnny Monell scored from third, but it was ruled the pitch was a dead ball. However, they did not award the batter Brandon Crawford first, and Monell had to return to 3rd.
First base umpire Tom Woodring might've had the worst night. Two of his calls were reversed after some discussion, but ultimately the correct calls were made. In the 5th, Darwin Perez hit a ground ball to first base with a runner on third. The runner scored and would have no matter what, but it was initially ruled that Drew Biery didn't tag Perez running to first. They changed the call, and it potentially changed the complexion of the inning as Rancho Cucamonga had two more runners reach. In the next inning, a Brandon Crawford throw pulled Biery off the bag, but Woodring ruled he held onto the base for the out. That was also reversed, and no damage was done.
Johnny Monell was named series MVP. Partway through the series, it appeared Francisco Peguero could win his second straight championship MVP, but his performance tailed off in the last couple games. Monell was solid through the series and deserved the award. He had at least one hit in every game in the series, including three home runs in the first two games. He scored six runs, drove in four more and posted a 1.202 OPS. His defense behind the plate wasn't always sharp, but his big hits contributed a lot to the championship and picked up for some teammates that were struggling.
Game five was certainly memorable, but the entire series was one to remember. The Giants won running away in game one behind another great playoff start by Justin Fitzgerald. He pitched seven scoreless innings and struck out nine while walking none. The game was close for six and a half innings, but the Giants got to the Quakes' bullpen, scoring five in the 7th and three in the 8th. The Giants had a balanced attack, getting hits from everyone in the starting lineup. Ehire Adrianza had two hits and scored three times, and four different San Jose players had two RBI games.
Rancho Cucamonga turned the tables in game two and got their own great pitching performance. Garrett Richards pitched seven strong innings, allowing just one run and striking out eight. A night after scoring eight runs in their final two at bats, San Jose was limited to just two runs and three hits. Both runs came on Johnny Monell solo home runs, so the Giants certainly didn't get the balance they did from their lineup in game one. Kelvin Marte made a solid start for San Jose, but it wasn't enough with the lack of offensive support. Jon Townsend had three hits, including a solo home run, and two RBI.
Game three may have finished with a five run margin, but prior to game five, it was probably one of, if not the most wild game of the season. Rancho Cucamonga took an early lead, but San Jose eventually tied it up. After the Quakes' bullpen let the game get out of hand to waste a good start by Ryan Chaffee, Rancho Cucamonga fought back in the bottom of the 9th again. Jon Townsend led off the inning by reaching on a wild pitch for strike three (sound familiar?) and it was downhill from there for San Jose. Jason Stoffel struck out Matt Long, but then a walk, two hits and sloppy play eventually led to the Quakes tying the game on a sac bunt. San Jose recovered to win in 11 with a five run inning, highlighted by Brandon Crawford's grand slam.
Momentum swung back in Rancho Cucamonga's favor in a must win game four. Manny Flores was making his third playoff start, and he stepped up when it matters most. San Jose was shut out, and it was thanks to Flores' eight scoreless innings. Baserunners were scarce for both teams, but Flores did a great job and didn't allow a hit w/ RISP. Oliver Odle was solid despite having two and a half weeks of rest, and Flores was just better. Mike Trout and Luis Jimenez each had two hits to lead the Quakes offense to force game five.
At the All Star break, it wouldn't be a surprise that the Giants would win another championship. Lake Elsinore had the better half, but San Jose wasn't far behind. Their offense was one of the best in the league despite not hitting many home runs. They put the ball in play and stole a lot of bases, and their lineup was pretty deep. Brandon Belt dominated this league's pitching from the start, and Juan Perez joined him in the All Star game. Jose Flores was making a somewhat surprising contribution, and Charlie Culberson was starting to realize his potential.
Their pitching also set the standard in the league for the first half. They were led by a trio of All Stars, Craig Westcott, Eric Surkamp and Justin Fitzgerald. Westcott got the All Star game start after posting a tremendous ERA. Surkamp and Fitzgerald both posted great halves, and the rest of the six man rotation was delivering too. It was another great first half for the Giants, who have made a habit out of clinching a playoff spot at the 70 game mark. It was their 6th straight first half championship.
The second half didn't go quite as well. After winning 45 games in the first 70 games, the Giants finished last in the division with only 31 wins. They still hung on to finish with the best overall record in the division, but they probably expected to finish with more than 76 wins after the great first half. Brandon Belt was promoted, and obviously it's very difficult to replace a player like that. A number of key players such as Juan Perez, Jose Flores and Charlie Culberson saw their numbers drop in the second half, and that contributed to the team's struggles.
Their pitching wasn't quite the same either. Like Belt, Craig Westcott was quickly promoted to AA Richmond after the break, and it wasn't the first loss the rotation would suffer. About a month later, Eric Surkamp had to be removed from a start with a hip injury and didn't return. Fellow prospect Kyle Nicholson also went down with an injury, and San Jose's projected starters at the beginning of the season continued to dwindle. Justin Fitzgerald was able to be the anchor and stay in the rotation the entire season.
At the end of the second half, the Giants seemed to start playing better and build some momentum. They had almost a full week off between the end of the regular season and their playoff schedule thanks to their first half championship, but sometimes this can hurt teams. San Jose shrugged it off and remained hot against Modesto. At the time, the Nuts seemed unbeatable, riding an eight game winning streak into the playoffs and past Stockton. That momentum suddenly stopped against the Giants who averaged seven runs per game to sweep Modesto and advance to another championship.
The Rancho Cucamonga Quakes deserve credit too. They didn't win a championship which is surely disappointing for the team and fans, but it was still one of the best seasons in franchise history. They survived a lot of promotions and roster turnover and played some of the most consistent baseball in the league, and they were very close to coming out on top. They were right with San Jose the entire series, and they proved to be a great competitor.
That's the story of the 2010 San Jose Giants. It's not well organized, but I tried to cover as much as I could. Before the playoffs, I wasn't sure about their chances because of their second half struggles, but they quickly proved that they could still get hot and win. Congratulations to the Giants players, coaches, front office, fans and anyone involved in the win. It was another great season for San Jose baseball, and it doesn't seem like anybody can stop them. It'll mostly be a new roster next year, but the player development staff does a great job at this level and always has players prepared to compete. Repeats in the minors don't happen often, and the Giants deserve credit for having top talent year after year.
This time it wasn't easy though; Rancho Cucamonga fought hard in the five game series and almost won it themselves. It took until the 10th inning of game five for a champion to be decided, and it was the Giants winning their second straight championship for the first time in team history. Jason Stoffel earned the win, pitching his longest and perhaps most effective outing of the season. With one out in the 8th inning, Rancho Cucamonga just tied the game with two runs and had the bases loaded again. Stoffel got Luis Jimenez to strike out and Gabe Jacobo to pop up to get out of the jam.
Both teams had opportunities in the 9th, but neither could come through. The Giants had two runners in scoring position with one out after an Ehire Adrianza sac bunt, but Eddie McKiernan made a tough play on a roller down the first base line to record an out at home and then struck out James Simmons to end the inning. In the bottom half of the inning, Matt Long stole second base, his second steal of the game. However, with two outs and Jon Townsend at the plate, Long was caught stealing 3rd to end the inning. Who knows if Townsend would've delivered the winning hit, but the Quakes didn't get a chance to find out.
In the 10th, Juan Perez hit a check swing triple down the first base line with one out. It wasn't his best swing of the game, but baseball is a funny game. On this day, the Giants were the beneficiaries. Charlie Culberson hit a sac fly to bring the run in, and Jason Stoffel recorded three more outs to win the championship but not without a little drama. With two outs, Stoffel hit Mike Trout, and he stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error. However, Darwin Perez struck out to end the season.
That was how the game ended, but the first seven and a half innings were a battle as well. The game was started by a couple guys no one would've expected to be starting a game five a year ago. Neither starter was great, but they both gave their team a chance to win considering the circumstances. Justin Fitzgerald, who prior to April 2010 hadn't started a game since high school, started on short rest. He finished with 164.2 IP this season counting the playoffs, which is more than twice as many as the rest of his pro career. He was opposed by Kyle Hurst, another pitcher who was used to pitching out of the bullpen. He was moved to the rotation at the end of the season, and despite not pitching in 17 days, gave the Quakes four solid innings.
Rancho Cucamonga took a quick lead in the first on a Gabe Jacobo sac fly. Fitzgerald wasn't sharp early, and the Quakes took advantage of a pitcher that could've been a bit tired at this point in the season. In the top of the second, fans got a taste of how back and forth this game would be when San Jose took a 2-1 lead on Brandon Crawford's second home run of the series. Of course the game would soon be tied again after Luis Jimenez hit an RBI triple in the 3rd. This was the nature of the game; Giants scored two in the 5th, the Quakes responded with one in the bottom half. The same thing happened in the 7th inning, and then Rancho Cucamonga's final comeback in 2010 began in the 8th.
No one ever wants this to be the case, but umpires were a part of the story Tuesday night. A number of controversial calls took place during the game, but one good thing is they huddled up and discussed the calls to try and get them right. This one didn't come back to hurt the Giants because they scored on a walk anyway, but a pitch thrown inside by Chris Scholl went to the backstop. Johnny Monell scored from third, but it was ruled the pitch was a dead ball. However, they did not award the batter Brandon Crawford first, and Monell had to return to 3rd.
First base umpire Tom Woodring might've had the worst night. Two of his calls were reversed after some discussion, but ultimately the correct calls were made. In the 5th, Darwin Perez hit a ground ball to first base with a runner on third. The runner scored and would have no matter what, but it was initially ruled that Drew Biery didn't tag Perez running to first. They changed the call, and it potentially changed the complexion of the inning as Rancho Cucamonga had two more runners reach. In the next inning, a Brandon Crawford throw pulled Biery off the bag, but Woodring ruled he held onto the base for the out. That was also reversed, and no damage was done.
Johnny Monell was named series MVP. Partway through the series, it appeared Francisco Peguero could win his second straight championship MVP, but his performance tailed off in the last couple games. Monell was solid through the series and deserved the award. He had at least one hit in every game in the series, including three home runs in the first two games. He scored six runs, drove in four more and posted a 1.202 OPS. His defense behind the plate wasn't always sharp, but his big hits contributed a lot to the championship and picked up for some teammates that were struggling.
Game five was certainly memorable, but the entire series was one to remember. The Giants won running away in game one behind another great playoff start by Justin Fitzgerald. He pitched seven scoreless innings and struck out nine while walking none. The game was close for six and a half innings, but the Giants got to the Quakes' bullpen, scoring five in the 7th and three in the 8th. The Giants had a balanced attack, getting hits from everyone in the starting lineup. Ehire Adrianza had two hits and scored three times, and four different San Jose players had two RBI games.
Rancho Cucamonga turned the tables in game two and got their own great pitching performance. Garrett Richards pitched seven strong innings, allowing just one run and striking out eight. A night after scoring eight runs in their final two at bats, San Jose was limited to just two runs and three hits. Both runs came on Johnny Monell solo home runs, so the Giants certainly didn't get the balance they did from their lineup in game one. Kelvin Marte made a solid start for San Jose, but it wasn't enough with the lack of offensive support. Jon Townsend had three hits, including a solo home run, and two RBI.
Game three may have finished with a five run margin, but prior to game five, it was probably one of, if not the most wild game of the season. Rancho Cucamonga took an early lead, but San Jose eventually tied it up. After the Quakes' bullpen let the game get out of hand to waste a good start by Ryan Chaffee, Rancho Cucamonga fought back in the bottom of the 9th again. Jon Townsend led off the inning by reaching on a wild pitch for strike three (sound familiar?) and it was downhill from there for San Jose. Jason Stoffel struck out Matt Long, but then a walk, two hits and sloppy play eventually led to the Quakes tying the game on a sac bunt. San Jose recovered to win in 11 with a five run inning, highlighted by Brandon Crawford's grand slam.
Momentum swung back in Rancho Cucamonga's favor in a must win game four. Manny Flores was making his third playoff start, and he stepped up when it matters most. San Jose was shut out, and it was thanks to Flores' eight scoreless innings. Baserunners were scarce for both teams, but Flores did a great job and didn't allow a hit w/ RISP. Oliver Odle was solid despite having two and a half weeks of rest, and Flores was just better. Mike Trout and Luis Jimenez each had two hits to lead the Quakes offense to force game five.
At the All Star break, it wouldn't be a surprise that the Giants would win another championship. Lake Elsinore had the better half, but San Jose wasn't far behind. Their offense was one of the best in the league despite not hitting many home runs. They put the ball in play and stole a lot of bases, and their lineup was pretty deep. Brandon Belt dominated this league's pitching from the start, and Juan Perez joined him in the All Star game. Jose Flores was making a somewhat surprising contribution, and Charlie Culberson was starting to realize his potential.
Their pitching also set the standard in the league for the first half. They were led by a trio of All Stars, Craig Westcott, Eric Surkamp and Justin Fitzgerald. Westcott got the All Star game start after posting a tremendous ERA. Surkamp and Fitzgerald both posted great halves, and the rest of the six man rotation was delivering too. It was another great first half for the Giants, who have made a habit out of clinching a playoff spot at the 70 game mark. It was their 6th straight first half championship.
The second half didn't go quite as well. After winning 45 games in the first 70 games, the Giants finished last in the division with only 31 wins. They still hung on to finish with the best overall record in the division, but they probably expected to finish with more than 76 wins after the great first half. Brandon Belt was promoted, and obviously it's very difficult to replace a player like that. A number of key players such as Juan Perez, Jose Flores and Charlie Culberson saw their numbers drop in the second half, and that contributed to the team's struggles.
Their pitching wasn't quite the same either. Like Belt, Craig Westcott was quickly promoted to AA Richmond after the break, and it wasn't the first loss the rotation would suffer. About a month later, Eric Surkamp had to be removed from a start with a hip injury and didn't return. Fellow prospect Kyle Nicholson also went down with an injury, and San Jose's projected starters at the beginning of the season continued to dwindle. Justin Fitzgerald was able to be the anchor and stay in the rotation the entire season.
At the end of the second half, the Giants seemed to start playing better and build some momentum. They had almost a full week off between the end of the regular season and their playoff schedule thanks to their first half championship, but sometimes this can hurt teams. San Jose shrugged it off and remained hot against Modesto. At the time, the Nuts seemed unbeatable, riding an eight game winning streak into the playoffs and past Stockton. That momentum suddenly stopped against the Giants who averaged seven runs per game to sweep Modesto and advance to another championship.
The Rancho Cucamonga Quakes deserve credit too. They didn't win a championship which is surely disappointing for the team and fans, but it was still one of the best seasons in franchise history. They survived a lot of promotions and roster turnover and played some of the most consistent baseball in the league, and they were very close to coming out on top. They were right with San Jose the entire series, and they proved to be a great competitor.
That's the story of the 2010 San Jose Giants. It's not well organized, but I tried to cover as much as I could. Before the playoffs, I wasn't sure about their chances because of their second half struggles, but they quickly proved that they could still get hot and win. Congratulations to the Giants players, coaches, front office, fans and anyone involved in the win. It was another great season for San Jose baseball, and it doesn't seem like anybody can stop them. It'll mostly be a new roster next year, but the player development staff does a great job at this level and always has players prepared to compete. Repeats in the minors don't happen often, and the Giants deserve credit for having top talent year after year.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Cal League Condensed: Championship Game Five Review
Giants repeat in back and forth extra innings game
San Jose 7, Rancho Cucamonga 6 (10)
Recap | Box
W: Jason Stoffel (2-0)
L: Eddie McKiernan (0-1)
BS: Ryan Verdugo (1)
HR: Brandon Crawford (2)
Player of the game: Jason Stoffel
Notes: San Jose wins their 6th championship and second straight... No team has won back to back championships since San Bernardino, now Inland Empire, in 1999-2000... Johnny Monell won championship MVP... Charlie Culberson's 10th inning sac fly to score Juan Perez proved to be the winning run... Rancho Cucamonga scored two runs on an Alberto Rosario single in the 8th to the the game at six... Jason Stoffel recorded two outs with the bases loaded in the 8th and finished the game to earn the win... Charlie Culberson and Brandon Crawford each had two hits and two RBI... Crawford also scored twice... Justin Fitzgerald allowed three runs in 4.2 IP... Jose Casilla allowed three runs in one inning... Kyle Hurst struck out five and allowed two runs in four innings... Rancho Cucamonga pitchers walked nine batters... Matt Long had three hits... Mike Trout had two hits and scored twice... Both Long and Trout had two steals... Long was caught stealing third for the third out in the bottom of the 9th as the winning run... Attendance was 2,099...
San Jose 7, Rancho Cucamonga 6 (10)
Recap | Box
W: Jason Stoffel (2-0)
L: Eddie McKiernan (0-1)
BS: Ryan Verdugo (1)
HR: Brandon Crawford (2)
Player of the game: Jason Stoffel
Notes: San Jose wins their 6th championship and second straight... No team has won back to back championships since San Bernardino, now Inland Empire, in 1999-2000... Johnny Monell won championship MVP... Charlie Culberson's 10th inning sac fly to score Juan Perez proved to be the winning run... Rancho Cucamonga scored two runs on an Alberto Rosario single in the 8th to the the game at six... Jason Stoffel recorded two outs with the bases loaded in the 8th and finished the game to earn the win... Charlie Culberson and Brandon Crawford each had two hits and two RBI... Crawford also scored twice... Justin Fitzgerald allowed three runs in 4.2 IP... Jose Casilla allowed three runs in one inning... Kyle Hurst struck out five and allowed two runs in four innings... Rancho Cucamonga pitchers walked nine batters... Matt Long had three hits... Mike Trout had two hits and scored twice... Both Long and Trout had two steals... Long was caught stealing third for the third out in the bottom of the 9th as the winning run... Attendance was 2,099...
Cal League Condensed: Championship Game Five
Fitzgerald goes on short rest in deciding game
San Jose Giants v. Rancho Cucamonga Quakes 7:05 PM PT
Game Five (Series tied 2-2)
Justin Fitzgerald v. Kyle Hurst
Radio Broadcast: 1510 AM (Rancho Cucamonga), www.rcquakes.com, www.sjgiants.com and www.milb.com
TV Broadcast: CHN (San Jose)
Fitzgerald v. Rancho Cucamonga:
Hurst v. San Jose:
Notes: The Championship series last went five games in 2007 when San Jose defeated Lake Elsinore... This is the first playoff series in 2010 to play the maximum amount of games... Justin Fitzgerald has a .64 ERA and .79 WHIP in 14 innings over two previous playoff starts, including the first game of this series... Fitzgerald will be the only starter this postseason to pitch twice in one series... Johnny Monell had a 1.303 OPS in 17 Championship series at bats... Juan Perez has just five hits in 31 playoff at bats... Kyle Hurst's start against San Jose earlier this year was by far his worst appearance of the season... Hurst hasn't pitched in the postseason and hasn't appeared in a game since 9/3... Gabe Jacobo and Dillon Baird have combined to go 5/29 against San Jose and neither had a hit in game four... Mike Trout is 7/18 in the championship with a 1.199 OPS...
San Jose Giants v. Rancho Cucamonga Quakes 7:05 PM PT
Game Five (Series tied 2-2)
Justin Fitzgerald v. Kyle Hurst
Radio Broadcast: 1510 AM (Rancho Cucamonga), www.rcquakes.com, www.sjgiants.com and www.milb.com
TV Broadcast: CHN (San Jose)
Fitzgerald v. Rancho Cucamonga:
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Hurst v. San Jose:
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Notes: The Championship series last went five games in 2007 when San Jose defeated Lake Elsinore... This is the first playoff series in 2010 to play the maximum amount of games... Justin Fitzgerald has a .64 ERA and .79 WHIP in 14 innings over two previous playoff starts, including the first game of this series... Fitzgerald will be the only starter this postseason to pitch twice in one series... Johnny Monell had a 1.303 OPS in 17 Championship series at bats... Juan Perez has just five hits in 31 playoff at bats... Kyle Hurst's start against San Jose earlier this year was by far his worst appearance of the season... Hurst hasn't pitched in the postseason and hasn't appeared in a game since 9/3... Gabe Jacobo and Dillon Baird have combined to go 5/29 against San Jose and neither had a hit in game four... Mike Trout is 7/18 in the championship with a 1.199 OPS...
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Cal League Condensed: 9/19 Review
Flores dominates as Quakes blank Giants
Rancho Cucamonga 4, San Jose 0
Recap | Box
W: Manny Flores (1-0)
L: Oliver Odle (0-1)
Player of the game: Manny Flores
Notes: Manny Flores allowed five hits and struck out four in eight scoreless innings... Nick Pugliese pitched the last inning to complete the shutout... Rancho Cucamonga scored two runs in both the 6th and 7th innings... Each team had six hits... Mike Trout and Luis Jimenez each had two hit games... All four of Rancho Cucamonga's runs were scored by different players... Oliver Odle allowed two runs in 5.2 IP... Ben Wilshire had to leave the game without recording an out due to injury... Charlie Culberson and Ehire Adrianza had two hits each... Juan Perez was picked off by Manny Flores twice... Francisco Peguero's hitting streak ended with an 0/4 night... Attendance was 1,328...
Rancho Cucamonga 4, San Jose 0
Recap | Box
W: Manny Flores (1-0)
L: Oliver Odle (0-1)
Player of the game: Manny Flores
Notes: Manny Flores allowed five hits and struck out four in eight scoreless innings... Nick Pugliese pitched the last inning to complete the shutout... Rancho Cucamonga scored two runs in both the 6th and 7th innings... Each team had six hits... Mike Trout and Luis Jimenez each had two hit games... All four of Rancho Cucamonga's runs were scored by different players... Oliver Odle allowed two runs in 5.2 IP... Ben Wilshire had to leave the game without recording an out due to injury... Charlie Culberson and Ehire Adrianza had two hits each... Juan Perez was picked off by Manny Flores twice... Francisco Peguero's hitting streak ended with an 0/4 night... Attendance was 1,328...
Cal League Condensed: 9/19 Preview
Flores gets third playoff start in must win game
San Jose Giants v. Rancho Cucamonga Quakes 5:05 PM PT
Game Four (SJ leads 2-1)
Oliver Odle v. Manny Flores
Radio Broadcast: 1510 AM (Rancho Cucamonga), www.rcquakes.com, www.sjgiants.com and www.milb.com
TV Broadcast: CHN (San Jose)
Odle v. Rancho Cucamonga:
Flores v. San Jose:
Notes: Oliver Odle hasn't pitched since 9/2, a quality start against Inland Empire... Odle had a 6.07 ERA in 96.1 IP as a starter and allowed 131 hits... Closer Jason Stoffel had a 3.56 ERA with 36 strikeouts in 30.1 road IP... Juan Perez hasn't had a multi hit game since 9/4, the third to last game of the regular season... Manny Flores has a 6.75 ERA over 9.1 IP in two playoff starts... Flores will be the only starter to appear three times in the playoffs this year... Rancho Cucamonga has had two three-run innings this postseason started by a wild pitch on strike three... Dillon Baird is batting .182 in the series against San Jose...
San Jose Giants v. Rancho Cucamonga Quakes 5:05 PM PT
Game Four (SJ leads 2-1)
Oliver Odle v. Manny Flores
Radio Broadcast: 1510 AM (Rancho Cucamonga), www.rcquakes.com, www.sjgiants.com and www.milb.com
TV Broadcast: CHN (San Jose)
Odle v. Rancho Cucamonga:
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Flores v. San Jose:
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Notes: Oliver Odle hasn't pitched since 9/2, a quality start against Inland Empire... Odle had a 6.07 ERA in 96.1 IP as a starter and allowed 131 hits... Closer Jason Stoffel had a 3.56 ERA with 36 strikeouts in 30.1 road IP... Juan Perez hasn't had a multi hit game since 9/4, the third to last game of the regular season... Manny Flores has a 6.75 ERA over 9.1 IP in two playoff starts... Flores will be the only starter to appear three times in the playoffs this year... Rancho Cucamonga has had two three-run innings this postseason started by a wild pitch on strike three... Dillon Baird is batting .182 in the series against San Jose...
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Cal League Condensed: 9/18 Review
Crawford's 11th inning grand slam caps wild game three
San Jose 12, Rancho Cucamonga 7 (11)
Recap | Box
W: Wilmin Rodriguez (1-0)
L: Jose Perez (0-1)
BS: Jason Stoffel (1) Matt Oye (1)
HR: Wendell Fairley (1) James Simmons (1) Brandon Crawford (1) Mike Trout 2 (2)
Player of the game: Mike Trout
Notes: Francisco Peguero scored the eventual winning run on a Jose Flores triple after reaching on a strike three wild pitch... Brandon Crawford his a grand slam to make the lead 12-7... Rancho Cucamonga scored three runs in the 9th to tie the game at seven... Jon Townsend led off the inning reaching on a strike three wild pitch... Mike Trout hit an RBI single, and San Jose committed two errors allowing another run to score... Quakes tied the game on a safety squeeze bunt... Francisco Peguero had a four hit game... Johnny Monell scored three times... James Simmons hit a three run home run... Ryan Chaffee allowed one earned run in six innings... Rancho Cucamonga's bullpen allowed nine runs in six innings... Mike Trout had four hits, two home runs, three RBI and four runs... San Jose committed four errors... Attendance was 2,376...
San Jose 12, Rancho Cucamonga 7 (11)
Recap | Box
W: Wilmin Rodriguez (1-0)
L: Jose Perez (0-1)
BS: Jason Stoffel (1) Matt Oye (1)
HR: Wendell Fairley (1) James Simmons (1) Brandon Crawford (1) Mike Trout 2 (2)
Player of the game: Mike Trout
Notes: Francisco Peguero scored the eventual winning run on a Jose Flores triple after reaching on a strike three wild pitch... Brandon Crawford his a grand slam to make the lead 12-7... Rancho Cucamonga scored three runs in the 9th to tie the game at seven... Jon Townsend led off the inning reaching on a strike three wild pitch... Mike Trout hit an RBI single, and San Jose committed two errors allowing another run to score... Quakes tied the game on a safety squeeze bunt... Francisco Peguero had a four hit game... Johnny Monell scored three times... James Simmons hit a three run home run... Ryan Chaffee allowed one earned run in six innings... Rancho Cucamonga's bullpen allowed nine runs in six innings... Mike Trout had four hits, two home runs, three RBI and four runs... San Jose committed four errors... Attendance was 2,376...
Cal League Condensed: 9/18 Preview
Series shifts to Epicenter for pivotal game three
San Jose Giants v. Rancho Cucamonga Quakes 7:05 PM PT
Game Three (Series tied 1-1)
Kyle Woodruff v. Ryan Chaffee
Radio Broadcast: 1510 AM (Rancho Cucamonga), www.rcquakes.com, www.sjgiants.com and www.milb.com
TV Broadcast: CHN (San Jose)
Woodruff v. Rancho Cucamonga:
Notes: Kyle Woodruff allowed two unearned runs in five innings in his first playoff start... All four of Woodruff's quality starts in the regular season came on the road... Johnny Monell hit a two home run game at Rancho Cucamonga in the regular season... Drew Biery's road OPS was 81 points higher this season... Ryan Chaffee allowed one run in seven innings in his first playoff start... Chaffee has four straight quality starts going back to the regular season... Rancho Cucamonga swept a series against San Jose at home in July... Darwin Perez only has hits in two postseason games...
San Jose Giants v. Rancho Cucamonga Quakes 7:05 PM PT
Game Three (Series tied 1-1)
Kyle Woodruff v. Ryan Chaffee
Radio Broadcast: 1510 AM (Rancho Cucamonga), www.rcquakes.com, www.sjgiants.com and www.milb.com
TV Broadcast: CHN (San Jose)
Woodruff v. Rancho Cucamonga:
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Notes: Kyle Woodruff allowed two unearned runs in five innings in his first playoff start... All four of Woodruff's quality starts in the regular season came on the road... Johnny Monell hit a two home run game at Rancho Cucamonga in the regular season... Drew Biery's road OPS was 81 points higher this season... Ryan Chaffee allowed one run in seven innings in his first playoff start... Chaffee has four straight quality starts going back to the regular season... Rancho Cucamonga swept a series against San Jose at home in July... Darwin Perez only has hits in two postseason games...
Friday, September 17, 2010
Cal League Condensed: 9/17 Review
Richards dominates as Quakes even series
Rancho Cucamonga 4, San Jose 2
Recap | Box
W: Garrett Richards (1-1)
L: Kelvin Marte (0-1)
S: Eddie McKiernan (1)
HR: Jon Townsend (1) Johnny Monell 2 (3)
Player of the game: Garrett Richards
Notes: Garrett Richards struck out nine and allowed only two hits and one run in seven innings... Jose Perez and Eddie McKiernan each struck out two in one inning of relief apiece... Both of San Jose's runs came on Johnny Monell solo home runs... Francisco Peguero had the only other San Jose hit... Jon Townsend had three hits and was a triple shy of the cycle... Townsend drove in two runs... Kelvin Marte allowed two runs and struck out five in five innings... Eddie McKiernan was the first reliever to earn a save this postseason... Attendance was 3,008...
Rancho Cucamonga 4, San Jose 2
Recap | Box
W: Garrett Richards (1-1)
L: Kelvin Marte (0-1)
S: Eddie McKiernan (1)
HR: Jon Townsend (1) Johnny Monell 2 (3)
Player of the game: Garrett Richards
Notes: Garrett Richards struck out nine and allowed only two hits and one run in seven innings... Jose Perez and Eddie McKiernan each struck out two in one inning of relief apiece... Both of San Jose's runs came on Johnny Monell solo home runs... Francisco Peguero had the only other San Jose hit... Jon Townsend had three hits and was a triple shy of the cycle... Townsend drove in two runs... Kelvin Marte allowed two runs and struck out five in five innings... Eddie McKiernan was the first reliever to earn a save this postseason... Attendance was 3,008...
Cal League Condensed: 9/17 Preview
San Jose looks for 2-0 lead in final home game of 2010
Rancho Cucamonga Quakes v. San Jose Giants 7:00 PM PT
Game Two (SJ leads 2-0)
Garrett Richards v. Kelvin Marte
Radio Broadcast: 1510 AM (Rancho Cucamonga), www.rcquakes.com, www.sjgiants.com and www.milb.com
Neither starter has pitched against the other team in the regular season.
Notes: Garrett Richards walked a season high four in his first playoff start against Lake Elsinore... Garrett Richards has a 6.75 home ERA with Rancho Cucamonga despite a 20:2 K:BB ratio in 16 innings... Luis Jimenez had hits in all seven games against San Jose so far... Sngel Castillo's OPS on the road was 168 points higher than at home during the regular season... Kelvin Marte allowed three runs in 4.2 IP in his first playoff start against Modesto... Francisco Peguero was the 2009 California League Championship Series MVP... Juan Perez had a four hit game against Rancho Cucamonga during the regular season...
Rancho Cucamonga Quakes v. San Jose Giants 7:00 PM PT
Game Two (SJ leads 2-0)
Garrett Richards v. Kelvin Marte
Radio Broadcast: 1510 AM (Rancho Cucamonga), www.rcquakes.com, www.sjgiants.com and www.milb.com
Neither starter has pitched against the other team in the regular season.
Notes: Garrett Richards walked a season high four in his first playoff start against Lake Elsinore... Garrett Richards has a 6.75 home ERA with Rancho Cucamonga despite a 20:2 K:BB ratio in 16 innings... Luis Jimenez had hits in all seven games against San Jose so far... Sngel Castillo's OPS on the road was 168 points higher than at home during the regular season... Kelvin Marte allowed three runs in 4.2 IP in his first playoff start against Modesto... Francisco Peguero was the 2009 California League Championship Series MVP... Juan Perez had a four hit game against Rancho Cucamonga during the regular season...
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Cal League Condensed: 9/16 Review
Fitzgerald dominates in Giants rout
San Jose 10, Rancho Cucamonga 0
Recap | Box
W: Justin Fitzgerald (2-0)
L: Orangel Arenas (1-1)
HR: Johnny Monell (1)
Player of the game: Justin Fitzgerald
Notes: Justin Fitzgerald struck out nine in seven scoreless innings... Jose Casilla and Brian Anderson each pitched an inning to complete the shutout... Everyone in the San Jose starting lineup had at least one hit... Four Giants had two hit games, and four had two RBI games... Francisco Peguero had two hits and two RBI to continue his hitting streak... Ehire Adrianza had two hits and scored three times... Gabe Jacobo and Dillon Baird combined to go 1/7... All seven of Rancho Cucamonga's hits were singles... Orangel Arenas allowed six runs in 6.2 IP but only two were earned... Chris Scholl allowed three earned runs in 1.1 IP of relief...
San Jose 10, Rancho Cucamonga 0
Recap | Box
W: Justin Fitzgerald (2-0)
L: Orangel Arenas (1-1)
HR: Johnny Monell (1)
Player of the game: Justin Fitzgerald
Notes: Justin Fitzgerald struck out nine in seven scoreless innings... Jose Casilla and Brian Anderson each pitched an inning to complete the shutout... Everyone in the San Jose starting lineup had at least one hit... Four Giants had two hit games, and four had two RBI games... Francisco Peguero had two hits and two RBI to continue his hitting streak... Ehire Adrianza had two hits and scored three times... Gabe Jacobo and Dillon Baird combined to go 1/7... All seven of Rancho Cucamonga's hits were singles... Orangel Arenas allowed six runs in 6.2 IP but only two were earned... Chris Scholl allowed three earned runs in 1.1 IP of relief...
Cal League Condensed: 9/16 Preview
Quakes and Giants kick off 1998 Championship rematch
Rancho Cucamonga Quakes v. San Jose Giants 7:00 PM PT
Game One (Series tied 0-0)
Orangel Arenas v. Justin Fitzgerald
Radio Broadcast: 1510 AM (Rancho Cucamonga), www.rcquakes.com, www.sjgiants.com and www.milb.com
Arenas v. San Jose:
Fitzgerald v. Rancho Cucamonga:
Notes: San Jose beat Rancho Cucamonga in the 1998 Championship, Rancho Cucamonga's last appearance... San Jose reached back to back championships in 1998-99... Orangel Arenas allowed one run in five innings in his first playoff start against High Desert... Arenas' 7/29 start against San Jose started a personal four start quality start streak... Dillon Baird leads the postseason with seven extra base hits and has a 1.519 OPS... Gabe Jacobo leads the team with eight postseason runs... Justin Fitzgerald allowed one run in seven innings in his first playoff start... Fitzgerald won back to back starts twice in the regular season... Francisco Peguero continued his hitting streak against Modesto with six hits in 15 at bats... Charlie Culberson went 3/11 against Modesto and led the team in RBI with three...
Rancho Cucamonga Quakes v. San Jose Giants 7:00 PM PT
Game One (Series tied 0-0)
Orangel Arenas v. Justin Fitzgerald
Radio Broadcast: 1510 AM (Rancho Cucamonga), www.rcquakes.com, www.sjgiants.com and www.milb.com
Arenas v. San Jose:
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Fitzgerald v. Rancho Cucamonga:
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Notes: San Jose beat Rancho Cucamonga in the 1998 Championship, Rancho Cucamonga's last appearance... San Jose reached back to back championships in 1998-99... Orangel Arenas allowed one run in five innings in his first playoff start against High Desert... Arenas' 7/29 start against San Jose started a personal four start quality start streak... Dillon Baird leads the postseason with seven extra base hits and has a 1.519 OPS... Gabe Jacobo leads the team with eight postseason runs... Justin Fitzgerald allowed one run in seven innings in his first playoff start... Fitzgerald won back to back starts twice in the regular season... Francisco Peguero continued his hitting streak against Modesto with six hits in 15 at bats... Charlie Culberson went 3/11 against Modesto and led the team in RBI with three...
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
San Jose Giants v. Rancho Cucamonga Quakes Championship Preview
I noticed in one of my previous previews that the bold doesn't always work like I want it to on the head to head chart. Just know that Rancho Cucamonga won four out of six meetings this year.
The postseason finally had a series that wasn't a sweep as Lake Elsinore took Rancho Cucamonga to a 4th game. Unfortunately for the Modesto Nuts, San Jose was not taken to a 4th game, and they're back in their second straight championship. This will be a best of five series like the previous round, and it's a rematch of the 1998 series which San Jose won. The Giants reached back to back championships in 1998-99 but lost the second one.
Game One: Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (Arenas) v. San Jose Giants (Fitzgerald) Thursday 9/16 7:00 PM PT
Game Two: Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (Richards) v. San Jose Giants (Marte) Friday 9/17 7:00 PM PT
Game Three: San Jose Giants (Woodruff) v. Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (Chaffee) Saturday 9/18 7:05 PM PT
Game Four (if necessary): San Jose Giants (Odle) v. Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (Flores) Sunday 5:05 PM PT
Game Five (if necessary): San Jose Giants (TBA) v. Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (TBA) Monday 7:05 PM PT
Radio Broadcast: 1510 AM (Rancho Cucamonga), www.rcquakes.com, www.sjgiants.com and www.milb.com
TV Broadcast: TV Broadcast: CHN (San Jose, game 3 and games 4-5, if necessary)
San Jose easily shook off a subpar second half and swept Modesto to advance to another championship. Justin Fitzgerald set the tone in game one with a great start, and San Jose didn't trail in the series until the first inning of game one. Eventually, the Giants pulled away and won in convincing fashion, and they seemed to be one step ahead of Modesto the entire series. They got contributions from all parts of the lineup and pounded out a lot of hits that eventually led to plenty of runs. Kyle Woodruff also made a good start in game three, and the bullpen was solid despite allowing runs in two of the three games.
Rancho Cucamonga defeated regular season champion Lake Elsinore in four games in the last round. They split the first two games in Lake Elsinore and took care of business at home, winning both games at The Epicenter. They did it with the help of one ringer in Joel Pineiro, game two's starter, but their regular starters did very well too. In game one, they made a ridiculous seven errors and shot themselves in the foot, but they settled in and played a little better the rest of the series. In shocking walkoff fashion, Angel Castillo hit a two run double with two outs against Brad Brach to send Lake Elsinore home.
Here's a table of head to head results. The two rows at the bottom cover home and away splits for the matchup.
Here are tables that show batting stats against the other team in the regular season.
Continuing to get production from all parts of the lineup will certainly help. As I mentioned in the Modesto/San Jose series review, the Giants hit the Nuts' staff pretty hard, and the top of the lineup was responsible for it. Francisco Peguero and Jose Flores, the first and third hitters in the lineup, combined to go 14/28 and scored seven of the team's 21 runs. On an individual level, Peguero will want to continue his hitting streak, and the leadoff hitter reaching base obviously always helps. Brandon Crawford, a ringer in his own right although he's not a major leaguer, has hit well in the five hole, and Michel Sandoval was a big part of San Jose's eight run outburst in game three against Modesto.
The bullpen will need to lock down leads late. Jason Stoffel's overall season numbers don't look that good, but I think, like a lot of relievers obviously but moreso with him, his numbers were inflated due to a few bad outings instead of consistently giving up a run or two. San Jose's bullpen only has two scoreless appearances in September, but that's partly because they've had to work a lot of innings. Rancho Cucamonga has been relentless lately, and they've made some late comebacks and also shown a knack for tacking on runs to leads. San Jose cannot waste good efforts from their starters.
How will Rancho Cucamonga win?
The Quakes can't afford to give San Jose extra outs or make mistakes on the bases. Both teams play fundamental baseball, and the Giants will likely take advantage of the extra chances given to them by the Quakes that Lake Elsinore couldn't. Seven errors in a game was obviously an anomaly, but they have to get back to their generally mistake free baseball that they played all year until the Lake Elsinore series. In addition to the errors in the field, the Quakes didn't run the bases very well, particularly in game four. Angel Castillo getting a bad read and Darwin Perez getting picked off both took run scoring opportunities off the board.
Joel Pineiro won't be back for this series, so the starters are going to have to step up without a major leaguer pitching solid innings. The SP ERA posted earlier is pretty ugly, but generally I'd still say these starters have been pitching okay lately. Orangel Arenas pitched well in his first playoff start, but matching up against Justin Fitzgerald can always be difficult. Garrett Richards walked four in his playoff start, but that appears to be an aberration since his control has otherwise been good with the Quakes. Ryan Chaffee has been very good lately, but Manny Flores hasn't been very sharp in two postseason starts so far.
The postseason finally had a series that wasn't a sweep as Lake Elsinore took Rancho Cucamonga to a 4th game. Unfortunately for the Modesto Nuts, San Jose was not taken to a 4th game, and they're back in their second straight championship. This will be a best of five series like the previous round, and it's a rematch of the 1998 series which San Jose won. The Giants reached back to back championships in 1998-99 but lost the second one.
Game One: Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (Arenas) v. San Jose Giants (Fitzgerald) Thursday 9/16 7:00 PM PT
Game Two: Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (Richards) v. San Jose Giants (Marte) Friday 9/17 7:00 PM PT
Game Three: San Jose Giants (Woodruff) v. Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (Chaffee) Saturday 9/18 7:05 PM PT
Game Four (if necessary): San Jose Giants (Odle) v. Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (Flores) Sunday 5:05 PM PT
Game Five (if necessary): San Jose Giants (TBA) v. Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (TBA) Monday 7:05 PM PT
Radio Broadcast: 1510 AM (Rancho Cucamonga), www.rcquakes.com, www.sjgiants.com and www.milb.com
TV Broadcast: TV Broadcast: CHN (San Jose, game 3 and games 4-5, if necessary)
San Jose easily shook off a subpar second half and swept Modesto to advance to another championship. Justin Fitzgerald set the tone in game one with a great start, and San Jose didn't trail in the series until the first inning of game one. Eventually, the Giants pulled away and won in convincing fashion, and they seemed to be one step ahead of Modesto the entire series. They got contributions from all parts of the lineup and pounded out a lot of hits that eventually led to plenty of runs. Kyle Woodruff also made a good start in game three, and the bullpen was solid despite allowing runs in two of the three games.
Rancho Cucamonga defeated regular season champion Lake Elsinore in four games in the last round. They split the first two games in Lake Elsinore and took care of business at home, winning both games at The Epicenter. They did it with the help of one ringer in Joel Pineiro, game two's starter, but their regular starters did very well too. In game one, they made a ridiculous seven errors and shot themselves in the foot, but they settled in and played a little better the rest of the series. In shocking walkoff fashion, Angel Castillo hit a two run double with two outs against Brad Brach to send Lake Elsinore home.
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Here's a table of head to head results. The two rows at the bottom cover home and away splits for the matchup.
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Here are tables that show batting stats against the other team in the regular season.
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Continuing to get production from all parts of the lineup will certainly help. As I mentioned in the Modesto/San Jose series review, the Giants hit the Nuts' staff pretty hard, and the top of the lineup was responsible for it. Francisco Peguero and Jose Flores, the first and third hitters in the lineup, combined to go 14/28 and scored seven of the team's 21 runs. On an individual level, Peguero will want to continue his hitting streak, and the leadoff hitter reaching base obviously always helps. Brandon Crawford, a ringer in his own right although he's not a major leaguer, has hit well in the five hole, and Michel Sandoval was a big part of San Jose's eight run outburst in game three against Modesto.
The bullpen will need to lock down leads late. Jason Stoffel's overall season numbers don't look that good, but I think, like a lot of relievers obviously but moreso with him, his numbers were inflated due to a few bad outings instead of consistently giving up a run or two. San Jose's bullpen only has two scoreless appearances in September, but that's partly because they've had to work a lot of innings. Rancho Cucamonga has been relentless lately, and they've made some late comebacks and also shown a knack for tacking on runs to leads. San Jose cannot waste good efforts from their starters.
How will Rancho Cucamonga win?
The Quakes can't afford to give San Jose extra outs or make mistakes on the bases. Both teams play fundamental baseball, and the Giants will likely take advantage of the extra chances given to them by the Quakes that Lake Elsinore couldn't. Seven errors in a game was obviously an anomaly, but they have to get back to their generally mistake free baseball that they played all year until the Lake Elsinore series. In addition to the errors in the field, the Quakes didn't run the bases very well, particularly in game four. Angel Castillo getting a bad read and Darwin Perez getting picked off both took run scoring opportunities off the board.
Joel Pineiro won't be back for this series, so the starters are going to have to step up without a major leaguer pitching solid innings. The SP ERA posted earlier is pretty ugly, but generally I'd still say these starters have been pitching okay lately. Orangel Arenas pitched well in his first playoff start, but matching up against Justin Fitzgerald can always be difficult. Garrett Richards walked four in his playoff start, but that appears to be an aberration since his control has otherwise been good with the Quakes. Ryan Chaffee has been very good lately, but Manny Flores hasn't been very sharp in two postseason starts so far.
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