Brandon Trinkwon is top star in All-Star Game; Cal League wins

The California League took the lead in third inning and went on to beat the Carolina League 9-2 on Tuesday night at LoanMart Field in front of a sold out crowd of 4,702.

Former Dodgers were part of the festivities from California League Honorary Manager Ron Cey and Shawn Green and Adam Kennedy were Captains of the U.S. Bank Home Run Derby.  HOF and one of the Quakes owners, George Brett was the Carolina League Honorary Manager.

Four Quakes were named to the California League All-Star team; first baseman Cody Bellinger and second baseman Brandon Trinkwon started at second. The other two Quakes, pitcher Jose De Leon and catcher Kyle Farmer were promoted to the Drillers.

Trinkwon was named the Top Star of the game. Trinkwon was 2-for-3 with three runs scored, two RBI and a walk. Bellinger doubled and had two RBI. Bellinger was also a part of three fielding double plays.

The Quakes coaching staff ran the California League All-Stars. Quakes manager Bill Haselman said his goal was that everyone has fun and "for everyone to get in the game." Haselman added "I want to see everyone get an at bat or pitch one out, two out."  All 23 players on the roster played in the game.

Bill Simas, Quakes pitching coach, had the responsibility to make sure that no pitcher surpassed a limit set by their organization. For instance, Simas said that "all of the San Jose [Giants] pitchers had a 30 pitch/one inning limit and the Visalia [Diamondbacks] pitcher was one inning, 25 [pitches]. So we knew that going in so we could work with that."

In third inning and the game tied at one and a runner at second, Trinkwon walked. A passed ball and sacrifice fly made it 2-1 and then Bellinger doubled in Trinkwon to give the Cal League a two-run lead.

In the fourth inning, with two on and one out Trinkwon singled in a run. Trinkwon would later score on a sacrifice fly. Trinkwon nearly repeated that in the sixth inning when he singled in his second RBI of the game and then scored his third run on a single.

Fittingly, the game-ending grounder was hit to Trinkwon, who made the throw to Bellinger to close out the win.