"And put the (real starting pitcher) in parentheses," Brundage said.
In one of the strangest trends in the JetHawks' inaugural California League season, Cloude was once again pitched comfortably with a big lead as the JetHawks won their 10th game in their last 12 in front of 3,135 at The Hangar.
In Cloude's last nine starts, the JetHawks have averaged 9.1 runs. Cloude was 8-0 over that span.
By the sixth, the JetHawks led 14-1, and Cloude (11-2) was on his way to ninth-straight win.
"All I have to say is that's odd," said Cloude after the game, referring to run support. "A little luck and a lot of offense won that game."
The JetHawks' Scot Sealy and Scott Smith both hit home runs, Smith's a grand slam, as the JetHawks blew the game wide open against Lake Elsinore starter Brian Cooper.
Lancaster scored six times in the inning on just three hits, taking a 14-1 lead.
Cooper walked two and threw the second of his two wild pitches, and second baseman Chris Smith committed an error as the JetHawks sent 10 batters to the plate.
Combined with Rancho Cucamonga's 6-5 loss to San Bernardino, the JetHawks move into a first-place tie with the Quakes at 13-7.
Brundage said the JetHawks are playing much the same way as they did in April, when they started the season 18-9.
"I can feel it and the guys can feel it," Brundage said. "There's a confidence before the game starts."
Smith hit the JetHawks' first grand slam of the season, driving Cooper's 106th and final pitch over the left field wall.
The two hottest JetHawks - Shane Monahan and Jesus Marquez - were instrumental in the early innings as the JetHawks took a 6-1 lead.
Marquez homered in the first inning to extend his hitting streak to 13 games.
Monahan extended his hit streak to 11 games with a threerun double in the fourth that gave the JetHawks a 5-1 lead.
The JetHawks scored twice more with two outs in the fifth against the right-handed Cooper (4-6), a former standout at USC who was California's fourth-round draft choice last year.
Ricky Jordan led off with a single and Smith struck out.
Doug Carroll singled, but Jordan was thrown out trying to advance to third by right fielder Randy Betten.
Carlos Villalobos doubled Carroll home and Sealy followed with an RBI single that extended the Lancaster lead to 8-1.
Cloude couldn't blame anybody but himself for the run he gave up in the first.
Betten hit Cloude's first pitch down the left field line for a double, and he went to third when Cloude's pickoff attempt went into center field.
Cloude then threw a wild pitch that allowed Betten to score and the Storm took a brief 1-0 lead.
The Storm didn't do much else against Cloude.
He gave up six hits in the next six innings, but only in the sixth did he give up two hits in the same inning.
Cloude walked two and struck out three before being relieved by Eric Clifford to start the eighth.