Barber makes the most of run support

The JetHawks made life easy for starter Scott Barber, who's had five consecutive shaky outings. They scored runs in each of the first four innings Thursday against Rancho Cucamonga to build an eight-run lead. Barber responded with one of his best starts of the season, allowing one run on five hits in seven innings, and the JetHawks beat the Quakes, 11-1.

"I just went out, knew I had the big lead and knew I could be aggressive," Barber said. "I was locating pretty good, just trying to keep the ball down."

JetHawks catcher J.D. Closser had the first five-hit game of his career, including a home run and a triple. He drove in three runs and scored three runs.

The JetHawks scored lone runs in the first and second innings, then chased Quakes starter Francisco Rodriguez with a four-run third inning. Billy Martin's run-scoring double came in the middle of six consecutive base hits. Closser, Robby Hammock and Jeff Waldron each had run-scoring singles in the inning.

"I thought he was throwing harder than last time," Closser said of Rodriguez. "But guys had a little more preparation and made some adjustments to his slider, and got up there and had some good knocks."

Rodriguez, one of the top pitching prospects in the Angels organization, threw 38 pitches in the third inning, the most any single Quakes pitcher has thrown in an inning this season. JetHawks outfielder Brian Gordon lined a single off Rodriguez's backside during the rally.

"We got to Rodriguez early, which you need to do," JetHawks manager Scott Coolbaugh said. "Once he gets his rhythm, he seems to cruise pretty good."

Rodriguez (4-4) didn't return for the fourth, but the Quakes bullpen didn't supply much relief. Kevin McClain allowed two runs in the fourth and one in the sixth, Renan Martinez allowed one in the sixth and Billy Stokely allowed one in the eighth.

Buried beneath the offensive onslaught, though, Barber shined. He kept his pitches down and was able to locate his slider, two things he failed to do in his last five starts, when he allowed at least five runs each time. He was aggressive with his slider and jumped ahead of the Quakes' batters.

"Getting through those first few innings was kind of a boost (for Barber), especially since last time he didn't last 2 2/3 innings against these guys," Coolbaugh said. "Us scoring some runs took some pressure off him."

Barber (6-4) allowed one run - a bases-empty home run by Quakes designated hitter Ryan Lehr - on five hits in seven innings. He walked one and struck out four.

Mike Garber pitched the eighth inning, and Jamie Gann - former JetHawks outfielder Jamie Gann - made his professional pitching debut in the ninth.

Gann's fastball averaged between 89 and 90 miles per hour, and it topped out at 91. He kept his curveball down in the zone. He walked one batter and one of his pitches hit the backstop, but he didn't allow a hit in the inning.

"It looked like he had pretty decent composure, and he went after hitters," JetHawks pitching coach Mike Parrott said. "He went out there and threw strikes."

Ten of the JetHawks' 11 batters (nine starters and two pinch-hitters) hit safely, and five of them had multiple hits. Rico Montas was 0-for-5.

Notes
The JetHawks and the California Department of Conservation are doing their part to save the world, and give JetHawks fans some free baseball in the process.

This Saturday, any fan to bring three recyclable containers to The Hangar will receive free tickets to Lancaster's 7:15 p.m. game against the Quakes, courtesy of the DOC.

Uploaded August 10, 2001