It took all 70 games, but with their 11-4 win over Lancaster, Rancho Cucamonga clinched the second half championship in the Cal League's South division. It's the first time the Quakes have won a half championship since 2003, when they lost in the semi finals of the playoffs. In the six years between the division championships, Rancho Cucamonga made the playoffs twice, but they've actually finished below .500 in every season. 78 wins is a team record since the team moved to Rancho Cucamonga, and they haven't won a championship since 1994 as a Padres affiliate.
The Quakes didn't use a really long winning streak to propel themselves to the division title, just steady baseball. In fact, they had the same record in both halves, and the only difference between them was Lake Elsinore didn't play out of their minds this time. It's not like they played poorly and just dragged out the division until the last day. There was a lot of competition, and High Desert in particular made the Quakes earn it. In the middle of August, they went on a season long six game losing streak, leaving them tied for 3rd and two games behind the leaders. After that, they went 14-5 and won the division by a game.
The Angels have a very aggressive promotion system in the minors. Most players performing very well get bumped up a level, and they don't mind challenging players. Maybe that's why the Quakes tend to not make the playoffs because a lack of continuity can definitely prove ot be a challenge. Only two players got over 400 at bats, Gabe Jacobo and Angel Castillo. Jacobo has been steady in the middle of the Quakes' lineup all year, and Castillo finding his power stroke was key to the second half lineup. His OPS jumped over 350 points, and he hit 11 more home runs after the break. They stole fewer bases, but call ups like Mike Trout still sparked the top of the lineup on the bases.
Rancho Cucamonga has had pieces of a great rotation all year, but no one seemed to stick very long. They started the season with Will Smith and Tyler Chatwood anchoring the rotation, eventually had Pat Corbin, but all of them are gone. The Quakes now piece together a rotation with five guys who started the season at lower levels, one of which has primarily been a reliever. Despite the patchwork staff, Rancho Cucamonga has maintained a team ERA in the low 4's, currently good for second in the league. Strong performances from Chris Scholl and Eddie McKiernan have kept the bullpen effective even though a number of good relievers have been promoted. Former first rounder Garrett Richards has been very good since his promotion, and Manny Flores and Orangel Arenas each turned in good performances in August.
Rancho Cucamonga barely edged out High Desert in both the second half and overall standings, so they figure to play a close playoff series this week. The Quakes have the second best overall record in the league, but unfortunately for them Lake Elsinore was first, and the Storm will have homefield advantage if they meet in the next round. Maybe this won't be a bad thing, as Rancho Cucamonga finished with 44 road wins, tied for second best in the league behind Lake Elsinore again. The JetHawks may have finished way behind the three South division playoff teams, but their hot start to August had them in the race for awhile, and they should be commended for continuing to play hard and fighting to win games.
Congratulations to the Rancho Cucamonga players, coaching staff, front office and fans for winning the second half title. This franchise has historically been below average, but in 2010 they've been one of the league's best. The current roster hardly looks like the one that broke spring training five months ago, but the new faces have stepped up and filled in nicely. They've gotten quality pitching despite losing a number of key starters throughout the year, and they definitely have what it takes to get the championship.
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