The Padres’ No. 2 prospect had hit safely in each of his previous eight at-bats.
No. 54 prospect · Box score
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Liriano finished 3-for-4 with two RBIs and a pair of runs scored in the Class A Advanced Lake Elsinore Storm’s 13-2 rout of the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes.
«I’m seeing the ball real well,» said Liriano. «It feels really good, really nice. I’ve had like five hits [in a row] before, but not eight like this.»
The outfielder, who turns 21 next month, brought with him a 5-for-5 streak that extended back to his final at-bat in Tuesday’s 6-0 win at Modesto. The showing extended what had been a 5-for-5 streak that stretched back to his final at-bat in Tuesday’s game against Modesto. Facing the Quakes, Liriano singled and scored in the second inning, singled home No. 5 prospect Cory Spangenberg in the third, then delivered an RBI double and came home again in the fifth.
Even after flying to right to end the sixth, the native of the Dominican Republic is 11-for-17 since Monday. He’s hit in 12 straight games to get his average up to a season-high .281.
MLB.com’s No. 54 overall prospect has turned it on in May, hitting .360 with 10 RBIs and 13 runs scored in 22 games. That’s much more in line with the .319 average he posted with Class A Fort Wayne last season, when he was named Midwest League Prospect of the Year.
Liriano said he was happy just to be contributing to the Storm’s success. Lake Elsinore has won seven of 11 to climb within two games of first-place High Desert in the California League South Division.
«We’re doing good right now, everybody’s concentrated on the game, everybody’s into it,» he added.
Liriano wasn’t the only member of the Storm to have a big night. Carlos Quentin, in the third game of his rehab assignment, went 3-for-4 with a homer, three RBIs and three runs scored. Leadoff man Rico Noel also scored three times, while catcher Eddy Rodriguez blasted a three-run homer.
By Jonathan Raymond / Special to MLB.co