Four errors against San Bernardino on Wednes- day. Four more on Thursday.
And two in the first inning Friday night against Rancho Cucamonga, allowing the Quakes to take an early lead on their way to a 8-5 victory over the JetHawks in a California League game.
Lancaster (18-11) maintained its half-game lead over secondplace San Bernardino in the Cal League's Southern Division.
"We haven't taken care of the ball the last couple of games," Brundage said. "Obviously, it's hurt us. Defense should be one of our strong points."
Despite giving up two home runs to James Clifford, Rancho Cucamonga improved to 11-17 in front of 6,422 fans at The Epicenter.
The Quakes' Cade Gasper, a former first-round draft choice by the Detroit Tigers, allowed two runs in 6 2/3 innings to beat Lancaster for the second time this week.
"(Gasper) has got a real good change-up," said Clifford, who also struck out twice against him. "It looked like he was getting a lot of guys out with his change-up."
Gasper (2-1), a 6-foot-3, 175-pound right-hander from Mission Viejo, was boosted by a 3-0 lead the Quakes took in the first.
The Quakes' "rally" featured one hit - a single by No. 2 hitter Dickie Woodbridge after leadoff hitter Rick Gama walked against Lancaster starter Chris Beck.
The next batter, Antonio Fernandez, hit a grounder to second baseman Mike Lanza, who threw wildly to second in an attempt to force Woodbridge.
Gama scored and Woodbridge went around to third. After an RBI groundout made it 2-0 Quakes, Beck looked like he was going to get out of the inning with minimal damage.
He induced Randy Curtis to hit a grounder to third baseman Carlos Villalobos, who entered the game with 13 errors.
Villalobos committed his 14th, as he bobbled the ball and threw late to first as Fernandez scored the third run.
"When we're good, we're good," Beck said after taking his first loss of the season. "When we're bad, we're bad. Everybody struggles."
All the runs off Beck (4-1) were unearned, and they proved to be the difference.
Trailing 7-2 entering the eighth, Shane Monahan walked with one out and Clifford blasted his second homer of the game to right field.
That homer off reliever Darell White tied Clifford for the Cal League lead with Stockton's Jermaine Swinton and Visalia's Keith Kimsey, who both started the night with seven.
"I look fastball every pitch and try to adjust," Clifford said. "I'm just doing the same thing . . . I would have liked the win, though."
After White walked Villalobos, Todd Bussa struck out Jesus Marquez for the second out.
But Shawn Buhner doubled down the right field line to drive in Villalobos draw Lancaster within three.
Bussa was able to get Andy Augustine to ground out to first to end the half-inning.
Todd Schmitt pitched a perfect ninth to get his first save of the season.
After the first, Beck was able to get out of jams in the fourth and fifth. He was aided in the fourth, ironically, by a strong defensive play: Monahan's throw to nail Juan Melo tagging up from second on Gary Matthews' fly ball.
Melo was tagged out at third before Randy Curtis, who was tagging from third, could score.
"They swung at a few pitches to help me out a little bit," Beck said, "and I made a few good pitches."
One more sour note on the JetHawks' loss: reliever John Daniels gave up his first earned run of the season on Fernandez' RBI single in the Quakes' four-run seventh.