A day after dropping both games of a double-header at High Desert, the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes rallied from 2-0 down to outpace the Mavericks 8-2 Thursday night. 1B Cody Bellinger was in the middle of a three-run fourth inning and, after the game was all but decided, blasted his 26th homerun in the ninth inning.
Bellinger is tied with Bakersfield’s Tyler O’Neill for the California League homer lead.
With the win Rancho Cucamonga pulled to within two games of High Desert in the South Division 2nd half standings.
The home Mavericks got on the board first with two runs in the second inning. Ronald Guzman launched his sixth home run and Isiah Kiner-Falefa later knocked in a run with an RBI single.
Quakes starter Pablo Fernandez (W, 2-0) wouldn’t yield any more runs over his five innings and three relievers combined for four scoreless frames.
In the fourth inning the Rancho Cucamonga bats took over with a three-run rally that featured a Bellinger RBI single. The Quakes scored two more in the fifth to take a 5-2 lead with Bellinger drawing a two-out walk and coming around to score following a Jacob Scavuzzo double and a throwing error.
Scavuzzo singled in a run in the seventh inning and Bellinger finished off the scoring with his two-run shot in the ninth.
MLB.com has Bellinger, who turned 20 in July, as the Dodgers’ #9 organizational prospect.
THURSDAY SCOREBOARD
VISALIA – 3
SAN JOSE – 4
Angel Villalona goes 2-for-4 with 2 RBI, drives in the winning run in the bottom of the 9th. Tyler Rogers (W, 5-1) goes two scoreless innings in relief, 1 H, 1 BB, 3 Ks.
BAKERSFIELD – 11
LAKE ELSINORE – 5
Blaze win 8th straight. Tyler O’Neill goes 3-for-5, 2 2B, 2 RBI, Chantz Mack homers (2). Kyle Schepel (S, 3) goes 2 1/3, 0 H, 0 BB, 3 Ks.
LANCASTER – 5
INLAND EMPIRE – 2
Homers by Chase McDonald (23) and Derek Fisher (15) lead the Jethawk offense. Akeem Bostick (W, 4-4) goes 6 IP and allows 2 ER with 2 BB and 4 Ks.
RANCHO CUCAMONGA – 8
HIGH DESERT – 2
Quakes erase an early 2-0 deficit. Cody Bellinger launches his 26th homer, tied for Cal League lead. Jacob Scavuzzo goes 3-for-5 with 2 2B.
STOCKTON – 0
MODESTO – 1
Michael Benjamin homers (9) in the bottom of the first inning and three Modesto pitchers make it stand up. Kyle Freeland (W, 1-0, 7 IP), Johendi Jiminian (1 IP, 0 H) and Matt Carasiti (S, 7) blank the Ports on 7 hits.
