Quakes are a win away from title series

The Quakes won to take a 2-1 series lead in an otherwise tough night for Dodger affiliates. Oklahoma City, Tulsa and Ogden lost to fall one game away from losing their series. And Oklahoma City and Ogden gave up ninth-inning leads in their games.

Player of the Game

Rancho Cucamonga middle infielder Omar Estevez hit a home run that produced the only scoring in the Quakes 1-0 win. Estevez had ended the regular season with a 25-game hitting streak and he went hitless for the first time in weeks on Thursday.

He ended Friday with a 2-for-4 night with his solo home run.

Triple-A Oklahoma City

The Dodgers were two outs away from taking a series lead. However, the Redbirds (Cardinals) then got four consecutive singles with the last one scoring the walk-off 5-4 win for Memphis.

Dodger reliever Brian Schlitter took the mound with a two-run lead in the ninth inning. After two batters, he had a runner on second with one out. The Redbirds then got those four straight singles to score three runs and put the Dodgers behind in their series.

Logan Bawcom started for the Dodgers and he gave up a run in 4⅓ innings pitched. Four Dodger relievers put together 3⅔ innings of work where they only gave up another run.

The Dodgers scored their runs on home runs. Henry Ramos hit his second postseason home run, this one was a three-run shot that gave the Dodgers a lead. Travis Taijeron hit his first in the eighth inning to give the Dodgers a two-run lead.

Double-A Tulsa

The Arkansas Travelers (Mariners) got a solo home run in the top of the ninth inning to beat the Drillers 4-3 and take a 2-1 series lead. It was the second time in this series the Travelers scored in their last at-bat to win a game

Joseph Odom hit his first home run in the postseason off Layne Somsen to leadoff the ninth inning. The Drillers got a leadoff double from Gavin Lux in the ninth inning and had Lux on third with one out. But Keibert Ruiz and DJ Peters were unable to drive in the tying run.

Dustin May started for the Drillers and he pitched five innings. May gave up a run and four hits. He had one strikeout and walked one. An error by Zach McKinstry would eventually lead to two unearned runs for the Travelers in the seventh.

Cael Brockmeyer hit a solo home run. Gavin Lux, Drew Jackson and Mike Ahmed each had two hits.

Class-A Rancho Cucamonga

The Quakes returned home and got excellent pitching and one home run to beat the Lancaster JetHawks (Rockies) 1-0 and take a 2-1 series lead. Edwin Uceta saved his first scoreless effort for the playoffs as he pitched 5⅔ innings to get his first win as a Quake.

Dennis Santana made a rehab start and pitched the first inning for the Quakes. Uceta then entered the game and pitched to the seventh inning. Austin Hamilton, Yimi Garcia and Dan Jagiello combined to retire all seven hitters they faced to keep the shutout and preserve the win.

Omar Estevez led off the bottom of the sixth with his second home run in the postseason. Estevez and Cristian Santana each had two hits.

Rookie Pioneer League Ogden

The defending Pioneer League champions had an opportunity to take a series lead when they entered the top of the ninth with a three-run lead. However, the Grand Junction Rockies would score six runs with five of those runs coming with two outs and they went on to beat the Raptors 8-5 and take a 1-0 lead in their Best-of-3 series.

Ogden took an early lead on Dillon Paulson’s two-run homer in the first. The Raptors kept that lead until the seventh when the Rockies tied the game.

But then Ronny Brito stole home to break the tie and that was followed by Tre Todd’s two-run homer to give Ogden a three-run lead that took to the ninth inning.

The Rockies would send 11 batters up in the ninth inning with six of them scoring.

Transactions

Class-AA: Tulsa placed infielder Errol Robinson on the 7-day disabled list. Infielder Eric Peterson assigned to Tulsa from Great Lakes.

Class-A: Los Angeles sent right-handed pitcher Dennis Santana on a rehab assignment to Rancho Cucamonga.

Friday’s scores

Memphis 5, Oklahoma City 4

Arkansas 4, Tulsa 3

Rancho Cucamonga 1, Lancaster 0

Grand Junction 8, Ogden 5

Saturday’s schedule

4:35 p.m. PT: Oklahoma City (Zach Neal) at Memphis (Jake Woodford) (Game 4 - Best-of-5)

5:05 p.m.: Tulsa (Andrew Sopko) vs. Arkansas (Ashton Goudeau) (Game 4 - Best-of-5)

5:30 p.m.: Ogden (Joel Inoa) vs. Grand Junction (TBD) (Game 2 - Best-of-3)

7:05 p.m.: Rancho Cucamonga (Max Gamboa) vs. Lancaster (TBD) (Game 4 - Best-of-5)