Chris Newell homered to tie the game and Thayron Liranzo followed with what proved to be the game-winner as the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes slipped past the Stockton Ports by a 4-3 score on Thursday night at LoanMart Field. Five RC pitchers held the Ports to three unearned runs on three hits.
Rancho Cucamonga (21-9) stretched its lead in the South division to two games over Lake Elsinore (19-11) and has won 14 of its last 17 games.
Newell and Liranzo are now tied with Fresno’s Ryan Ritter for the Cal League lead in home runs.
Jared Karros started and went four innings, allowing three hits and two walks while striking out seven. Two unearned runs came across in the third inning to give Stockton a lead it would hold until the sixth inning.
The Ports pushed across a run on a passed ball in the seventh to take a 3-2 lead and set the stage for the bottom-of-the-eighth heroics for Rancho.
Four releivers held the Ports scoreless over the final five innings with Lucas Wepf (W, 1-2) getting the win. Wepf went 1 2/3 clean innings with no hits or walks and five strikeouts.
Stockton’s Jake Garland was solid over six innings, giving up two runs on six hits and two walks with seven strikeouts.
The Quakes have won two of the first three games of the six-game series with game four going at 6:30PM on Friday night.
THURSDAY SCORES
LAKE ELSINORE – 1
SAN JOSE – 19
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MODESTO – 2
INLAND EMPIRE – 12
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