Drillers and Quakes are the champions

RANCHO CUCAMONGA — The Dodgers had a great Friday. The major league team got a shutout over the Cardinals and then they saw both the Tulsa Drillers and Rancho Cucamonga Quakes sweep their series to win their respective league championships.

With the championships won, this will be the final Minor League Report of the 2018 season. The Dodgers had three minor league affiliate champions, the Tulsa Drillers, Rancho Cucamonga Quakes and Arizona Dodgers (Rookie).

Players of the Game

The bats did the job for both teams on Friday but the final Players of the Game award goes to Dustin May and Isaac Anderson. May pitched five solid innings in the biggest start of his career and Isaac Anderson was nearly perfect in his six-inning performance for the Quakes.

Double-A Tulsa

The Drillers got a leadoff home run from Gavin Lux and they went on to finish off a three-game sweep and defeat the San Antonio Missions (Padres) 5-2. The win made them the 2018 Texas League Champions.

Dustin May who got the win, pitched five innings and gave up two runs. He scattered seven hits and struck out three. The Drillers got shutout relief as Shea Spitzbarth and Layne Somsen each pitched two scoreless innings. Somsen got the save.

In the second inning, the Drillers added their second run on back-to-back doubles from Cael Brockmeyer and Mike Ahmed. After the Missions scored a run in the bottom of the second to cut the lead in half, the Drillers scored another run in the third on an error and a base hit.

May gave up his second run in the fifth on a Peter Van Gansen home run. But he was able to finish off that inning.

The Drillers added much needed insurance in the seventh. With two outs, DJ Peters and Jacob Scavuzzo hit back-to-back home runs to make it 5-2. After that, the Drillers needed to record nine outs which they did to win their first championship since 1998.

Class-A Rancho Cucamonga

The Quakes had to battle in Visalia in the first two games but back at home, they got up early and then were able to enjoy their 9-1 over the Rawhide (Diamondbacks). The win meant a three-game sweep and their second California League championship in four years.

The Quakes won 87 games in the regular season and added six more in the postseason. That is 93 wins in 147 games, a remarkable record for any full-season affiliate.

Though the score indicates a lot of offense, the contributions by the Quakes pitchers must be addressed first. Isaac Anderson made the start for the Quakes and he had an excellent start. He pitched six innings and gave up one hit and one walk. Anderson struck out six.

The Quakes also used three Dodger pitchers, John Axford, Tony Cingrani and Yimi Garcia. Axford got two outs in the seventh, he gave up a run, a hit, a walk and also struck out one. Cingrani pitched a scoreless eighth with two strikeouts.

Garcia entered the game in the top of the ninth and he got the first two outs. Then Parker Curry came in to record the last out and start the celebration.

California League Championship Series MVP Cristian Santana hit a home run in the third inning. That was one of four Quakes home run, Nick Yarnall, Donovan Casey and Jeren Kendall also homered in the game.

When the last out was recorded, the team leapt from the dugout and they may still be celebrating as you read this. Congratulations to the Quakes, you won’t see a season like 2018 anytime soon.

Transactions

Class-A: Los Angeles sent right-handed pitcher John Axford and left-handed pitcher Tony Cingrani to Rancho Cucamonga for a rehab assignment.

Friday’s scores

Tulsa 5, San Antonio 2

Rancho Cucamonga 9, Visalia 1