Rattler Alumni Report: MiLB Playoffs September 14

@Rancho Cucamonga 7, High Desert 6 (10 innings)

Mavs crumble in 9th
The Quakes win in the 10th to extend the semifinal series

High Desert couldn’t hold on to its three-run lead in the ninth as the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes rallied to the beat the Mavericks 7-6 in the 10th inning Monday night and force Game 4 of the second round of the playoffs.

The Mavs were leading 6-3 going into the bottom of the ninth, but the Quakes showed some resilience, rebounding from their two consecutive shutout losses.

After Mavericks relievers Edward Paredes and Steven Richard gave up a single and two walks to load the bases, Carlos Colmenares hit a two-run single off Richard. Aaron Jensen replaced Richard, but Efren Navarro hit a sacrifice fly to tie the game.

Navarro singled home Alberto Rosario in the bottom of the 10th for the walk-off win.

Click the score up top for the complete boxscore to see how all 13 ex-Rattlers for High Desert did last night.

Highlights include:
Joe Dunigan ('08): 3-for-4, 2 RUNS, 3RBI, HR
Michael Pineda ('08): 5IP, 6H, 2R, 3K, ND

Also, you may notice that Brent Johnson ('05) is in there at first base for the Mavs. While looking for a detail or two from the Rancho Cucamonga newspaper, I found this little note.

Mavericks' Johnson ready to convert

Brent Johnson's career is at a crossroads, and right now, those crossroads have him back in the California League.

Johnson, a member of the 2006 Cal League champion 66ers when they were a Seattle Mariners affiliate, is currently a first baseman with the High Desert Mavericks, the current Mariners affiliate in the league.

"It's nice to be back in the playoffs," the 27-year-old Johnson said before Monday night's Game 3. "Hopefully, we can win one of these games and go to the next round.

"Everything in the playoffs is more intense. You see guys with a lot more focus."

Johnson, who had been playing at Double-A West Tenn and Triple-A Tacoma since 2006, batted .292 in 21 regular-season games with the Mavericks this year.

But those could be his last regular-season at-bats.

The Mariners look like they'll be converting Johnson into a pitcher.

"I threw once last year (in Double-A), and I threw once this year in Lancaster," Johnson said. "I guess they (Mariners) liked what they saw."

That outing in Lancaster was a mop-up role, but Johnson was told he threw in the 88-91 mph range and says he throws four different pitches.

"That's what I was told to report to spring training as next year," he said.

That's interesting.