Brandon McCarthy begins his rehab with 2-inning start, Quakes win 7-4

LAKE ELSINORE ---  The Quakes continued their series against the Storm on Saturday night with a 7-4 win at Lake Elsinore.  Los Angeles Dodger right-handed pitcher Brandon McCarthy made his first rehab appearance and third baseman Mike Ahmed provided a lot of the offense with two home runs and four RBI.

In a game that crawled along after the Quakes took a big lead, the ninth inning provided some excitement for the home team as the Storm scored three runs and had a runner on with no outs.  However, Grant Holmes got a double play ball and then a fly ball to end the game and the Quakes held on to the win.

In his first inning of work since April 2015, McCarthy retired the side in order on a fly ball and two ground outs.  In the second inning, McCarthy gave up a solo home run, a walk, a fly ball and two ground outs.

After his appearance, McCarthy was happy to be done with his first competitive appearance in 14 months.

"At least knowing that I crossed hurdle one, which is game action and being able to get out there and feel all right is a great sign,"  McCarthy said, "There's a lot to do when you are doing it, you are trying to assess how your arm feels, how your stuff is, what you can do and can't do.

"It feels like an elbow surgically repaired. You have to go through these growing pains to get through it, it didn't get worst, it just kind of stayed there."

When asked where he will make his next rehab start, McCarthy could not say for sure.

"Will we take an extra day this time, will we go five days, do you take two days, what do you do in this proces?" McCarthy asked, "Then you look at schedules, whose where, what's convenient, so I don't think we have that planned out yet."

After McCarthy finished his work, Phillip Pfeifer pitched two scoreless innings.  Holmes, who at one time was the scheduled starter, pitched four scoreless innings before giving up a three-run home run in the ninth but he was able to get the final three outs for the win.

The Quakes scored a run in the first and then Ahmed hit his first home run of the game in the second to make it 2-0.  In the third inning, after one run was in, Ahmed hit his second home run in two innings, this time a three-run shot to make it 6-1.