There are just a couple of weeks left in the Cal League season’s first half, believe it or not, and the standings are starting to have serious playoff implications. The Bakersfield Blaze came into the night with a commanding five-game lead over the Visalia Rawhide in the North, having taken two of three at Recreation Park during the week. But the ‘Hide cut into that lead tonight with a late-inning comeback that combined with a shootout loss by Bakersfield at High Desert.
It would be asking a lot for Visalia to make up four games in a couple of weeks, but that is what the Rawhide will try to do in the waning days of the first half.
Lancaster pushed to a two-game lead in the South tonight behind some heavy hitting and Josh Hader’s 7 2/3 inning gem as the Jethawks beat the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes 9-1. Here are the finals from tonight:
LANCASTER 9 – RANCHO CUCAMONGA 1
VISALIA 4 – LAKE ELSINORE 3
HIGH DESERT 9 – BAKERSFIELD 8
MODESTO 3 – STOCKTON 2
SAN JOSE 2 – INLAND EMPIRE 1
The playoff procedures are explained on the Cal League page and the first-half is weighted higher than the second half, so how things shake out over the next couple of weeks has post-season significance.
Of course, the California League only exists to develop players for major league clubs and this weekly recap of races and playoff procedures isn’t meant to divert anyone’s attention from that purpose. They do, however, keep score and compile standings here and the performances of the players and their chances to have success at the highest level are best evaluated within that context.
WHAT A WEEK
COMBINED NO-HITTER FOR HIGH DESERT
For the second time in this early baseball season, the California League, hitter’s league of hitter’s leagues, saw a no-hitter thrown. Not just on any diamond, but at Heritage Field in Adelanto.
Mariners’ #9 prospect LHP Tyler Pike went six no-hit innings on Wednesday and relievers Mike Bordonaro and Blake Hauser finished it off for a 5-0, no-hit win over Rancho Cucamonga.
Just a couple of weeks earlier, Josh Hader combined with two relievers to toss a no-no at Bakersfield. Maybe we should lower the mound an inch or two a’la the 1960’s in MLB.
LATE-NIGHT DRAMA
Tuesday night saw a pair of games decided late in dramatic fashion, and the two games couldn’t have been more different. In Visalia, the Rawhide went toe-to-toe with division leading Bakersfield and won a slugfest by a score of 11-9. Brandon Drury homered in the bottom of the eighth with Socrates Brito aboard to provide the winning margin and Enrique Burgos came on and was “effectively wild” in closing out the game. Think Brian Wilson closing for the Giants.
While all that was going on, the San Jose Giants were locked in a pitcher’s duel in Stockton. Tied at one, the game went to extras and the Giants pushed across a run in the top of the 10th. Stockton came right back in the bottom of the inning but had the tying run thrown out at the plate on a game-ending double play.
Both games finished within a few minutes of each other.
APPEL BACK WITH LANCASTER
Mark Appel was the top overall pick in last year’s First-Year Player Draft and started the year in Lancaster, with poor results over four starts. After being reassigned to extended Spring Training, Appel is now back with the Jethawks and scheduled to start Saturday night.
WHAT DID I SAY ABOUT KIVLEHAN?
In last week’s Wrap, I noted how former HDMav Patrick Kivlehan was off to a slow start at AA Jackson. Well, he was.
But that was a whole week ago. The night after I wrote that, Kivlehan went 3-for4 and he hasn’t gone hitless since, while launching two homers. That’s the talent we saw over 34 games this season and his stellar 68 games in the Cal League last year.
COFFEE IS FOR OKERT
He’s a closer. (Is the Glengarry Glen Ross reference too obscure?)
Steven Okert is killing it at the back end of the San Jose Giants’ bullpen, racking up his 15th save tonight. In 28 2/3 innings, the lefty out of Oklahoma has allowed 22 hits while walking 11 and striking out 44. He hasn’t been scored on in his last eight outings and opposing batters are hitting just .208 against him. Yeah, the MLB Giants could use some more pitching. Good to see they’ve got a nasty lefty in the machine that might help shore up that already-dominant bullpen.
