Cruz continues run production for JetHawks

Cililo Cruz Jr. tied a season high with six RBI as Lancaster cruised to its second straight win

Lancaster's Cirilo Cruz Jr. got his five RBI and still had to play seven more innings Saturday against Rancho Cucamonga.

Cruz, who entered the game tied for the Cal League lead with 54 RBI, spurred a JetHawks run that saw Lancaster take a 10-run lead after three innings. The JetHawks went on to a 16-11 victory over the Quakes, much to the delight of 4,269 fans at Lancaster Municipal Stadium.

"It seemed like every time I came up, we had runners on base," Cruz said. "I was just thinking I got to get them in, and I got them in."

After his strong start, Cruz added a run-scoring sacrifice fly in the seventh inning for his sixth RBI of the game. That tied Brendan Kingman's RBI total from April 18 against Stockton for the team high this season.

But unlike Kingman, Cruz, who also scored two runs while going 3-for-5, had his big night without the benefit of a grand slam Saturday. Cruz drove in 11 runners during the three-game series with the Quakes and now has 22 RBI in 13 games against Rancho Cucamonga.

He may have overshadowed Luis Tinoco, who had a good night of his own, going 3-for-5 with a run scored and three RBI.

Believe it or not, Cruz actually missed an opportunity to drive in more runs in the third when he struck out with runners on second and third.

"I was trying to hit a home run," Cruz said with a modest smile. "We already had a (10-0) lead, and I said why not?"

Cruz picked up his first two RBI in the opening inning with a single into left field that plated Adonis Harrison and Joel Ramirez from second and third, respectively.

The Lancaster first baseman recorded his next three RBI in the second, when he came up with the bases loaded and cleared them with a double down the left-field line.

Kingman followed five pitches later by crushing a home run into the batter's eye in straightaway center field. The blast, which made the score 8-0 and chased Rancho starter Stephenson Agosto (3-4), was his eighth of the season.

"(Rancho Cucamonga) has been really hot," Cruz said. "So it seemed like we couldn't get enough runs against them."

Harrison and Ramirez scored Matt Sachse and Karl Thompson in the third to get the JetHawks to the magic 10-run plateau. During the first half of the season, Lancaster went 10-0 when it scored 10 or more runs.

When the Quakes scored five runs in the top of the fourth, it looked like that perfect mark might be in danger.

"I've been told not even 10 runs is safe," Lancaster starter Patrick Dunham said. "I guess now I believe it. . . I think I might have relaxed a little too much in the fourth."

Dunham, who entered the game tied for the league lead with eight wins, wasn't quite as sharp as he had been most of this season during his five innings Saturday, but still left in line to improve his record to 9-3.

Dunham allowed five earned runs on four hits, three walks and three hit batters. Three of the four hits and two of the three walks came in the fourth.

"I was working on a new grip for my slider, and that's when I hit those guys," Dunham said.

Rancho actually trimmed Lancaster's lead to 12-8 in the seventh, when Scott Seal hit a tworun homer off Brian Sweeney, but the JetHawks responded with four more runs in the bottom half of the inning to secure the win.

"I think this will be a learning experience for all of us," Dunham said.