Losing Grip, JetHawks Are Beaten Again

One or two games you can write off as an aberration. Three or four is a string of bad luck.

But five consecutive games of bad defense? Now we’re talking slump.

“I guess we are just going to have to weather this; obviously it’s unacceptable,” JetHawk Manager Dave Brundage said after his team made five errors and gave up five unearned runs in a 5-1 loss to the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes on Saturday night before 6,404 at the Epicenter.

The JetHawks have made 19 errors in five games, leading to 20 unearned runs. The shabby defense is largely responsible for the JetHawks (18-12) suffering their first three-game losing streak.

“We are turning routine balls into errors,” Brundage said. “We are finding bad hops. We are finding ways to make errors.”

JetHawk starter Brett Hinchliffe (3-1) pitched seven strong innings, allowing only two singles, but wound up with a loss because of his defense.

“It’s disappointing because we’ve been making more mental mistakes,” Hinchliffe said. “You can’t get frustrated. You just have to go back out there.”

The JetHawks also have been guilty of bunching their mistakes as they did in the second inning Saturday, making three errors.

Second baseman Jason Cook tried to backhand a routine grounder on the first play of the inning and it bounced off his glove. Darryl Brinkley hit a one-hopper that third baseman Carlos Villalobos failed to backhand, for error No. 2.

After a walk and a forceout scored one run, Ben Davis hit a slow bouncer to shortstop Luis Molina, but instead of a possible double play, Molina booted the ball, allowing a second run to score. The final run of the inning came when Dickie Woodridge was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.

“If we are going to make errors, at least we should try to spread them out,” Brundage said.

Hinchliffe rebounded well. He did not give up a run after the second and didn’t give up a hit until the fourth.

The JetHawks managed seven hits in seven innings against Quake left-hander Shane Dennis, but the JetHawks didn’t get a big hit when they needed it. They left at least one runner in scoring position in five of the seven innings Dennis pitched.

The Jethawks’ best chance came in the seventh, when they loaded the bases with one out.

Leadoff hitter Marcus Sturdivant, who already had two hits, drove in a run with a ground ball to third base, but Cook popped up to shortstop Juan Melo, ending the inning with the JetHawks trailing, 3-1.

The Quakes added two runs in the bottom of the eighth, with errors again helping out.

Brinkley led off with an infield single and went to second on an errant pickoff attempt by pitcher Clint Gould. Two outs later, Gary Matthews Jr. hit a chopper toward Molina, who charged the ball. But it dipped just under his glove, and two runs scored.

Rancho Cucamonga 5, JetHawks 1

JetHawks: 000 000 100 -- 1 8 5

Rancho Cucamonga: 030 000 02x -- 5 3 2

Hinchliffe, Gould (8) and Wathan; Dennis, Logan (8) and McKinnis.

W--Dennis (3-2).L--Hinchliffe (3-1).S--Logan (6).

2B: J--Buhner, Sealy.

Records: JetHawks 18-12; Rancho Cucamonga 12-17.