Brandon McCarthy gives up 10 runs, 3 home runs in rehab start

RANCHO CUCAMONGA --- Dodger right-handed pitcher Brandon McCarthy made his first appearance since he started against the Pittsburgh Pirates on August 13, starting on Monday for Class-A Rancho Cucamonga.

McCarthy pitched four innings and allowed 10 runs (five earned) and gave up nine hits, including three home runs, two to Colin Ferguson who had hit 12 home runs in 391 at bats prior to today's game.

McCarthy threw 79 pitches of which, 61 for strikes.  He said that he threw all of his pitches, his fastball was measured at 90-92 MPH on the stadium scoreboard.

"Yeah, it got better as it went, the line score looks absolutely ridiculous, but that was a better team than I faced before [in rehab starts]," McCarthy said. "I mean they hit everything and that was very confusing, stuff-wise felt like it got better as it went, I was content with it."

Health-wise, McCarthy felt fine and he wasn't working on one particular thing during this start.

"It wasn't bad, just moving along," McCarthy said, "To gain some consistency back, just pitching, face hitters again, make some progress, there wasn't any one thing, but it was really just get back to pitching."

The Quakes defense did not help McCarthy, a two-out error by shortstop Erick Mejia, his 41st of the season, brought in the first run of the game and extended the inning, where McCarthy would eventually give up the first home run of the game.

Modesto's pitchers made 81 pitches after three innings, plus there was a pitching change in the bottom of the second.

McCarthy said the length of the Quakes turns at bats did not affect his rhythm.

"No, that's kind of part of it, some innings are long," McCarthy said, "Some innings are short, rhythm-wise I didn't feel I got out of it at all."

As for his next appearance, that will be a discussion between the Dodgers and McCarthy.

"I don't know, I know we will probably talk today or tomorrow and then kind of figure it out, where we go forward," McCarthy said, "We are kind of coming to the end of minor league games and what are options are, but for right now, I got nothing."