'Hawks thrash Quakes

By ED HARBOUR
Valley Press Staff Writer

The squad featured newly crowned Cal League MVP Juan Silvestre, manager of the Year Mark Parent and Cal League AllStars Silvestre and Bo Robinson.

The award winners did not disappoint the sparse crowd at the Epicenter, announced at 3,427, with a 9-2 thrashing of Rancho Cucamonga to finish the season series ahead 14-6, the most lopsided series ever between the two clubs.

On Wednesday, the JetHawks (87-50, 47-20) found an offensive spark from an unusual place, light-hitting second baseman Robert Gandolfo, who went 4-for-6 on the night.

Gandolfo also connected on his first home run of the year, a low line-drive bases-empty shot over the right field wall in the fourth inning. The homer was the first of his professional career.

In the top of the fifth, outfielder Wilfredo Quintana knocked his third home run of the three-game series and fifth of the year with a bases-empty shot to left. Quintana also drove in nine runs in the series.

The League's newest MVP was as solid as ever, picking up an RBI on two doubles and scoring three times.

Caleb Balbuena, filling in for Jeff Heaverlo, who spot-started Wednesday for Class-AAA Tacoma, was effective for four innings, shutting out the Quakes (62-75, 24-43) on one hit.

Those four innings were not enough for Balbuena to qualify for the win as reliever Denny McDaniel (5-0), picked up the victory in two innings of relief.

Game notes

Enmanuel Ulloa and Melqui Torres will both start for ClassAAA this week, with Torres going on Friday and Ulloa on Saturday. Neither will miss starts for the JetHawks as Scott Atchison will throw on Friday and the team has Saturday off.

"Depending on how (Jeff) Heaverlo feels after throwing (Wednesday in Tacoma)," Parent said, "he might need some work on Sunday and we can give it to him then.

"After that we have four days off, so it comes at a good time for us."

Tacoma's roster is depleted with injuries, call-ups and Olympic players with those effects to be intensified over the weekend when the major league rosters expand.

"It's kind of a good problem to have," Mariners director player development Benny Looper said. "The Mariners have six guys heading to Sydney for the Olympics and four teams fighting to be in the playoffs which makes it tough to move guys around."

Pitcher Omar Obando was placed on the disabled list Wednesday. The Mariners are expected to bring up infielder Israel Cruz by the weekend to take his roster spot.

Uploaded August 31, 2000