To say that the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes have had a rough first half would be a gross understatement. All season long they have had good pitching with poor hitting or poor pitching with good hitting but they just never seemed to put the good stuff together at the same time… until last week.

After losing the first two games of their recent 6-game road trip, the Quakes won four straight, including a three-game sweep of the powerful Stockton Ports (A’s). The Quakes then returned home and with the help of rehabbing Dodger third baseman Juan Uribe and smoking hot C.J. Retherford, the Quakes beat the Cal League-South leading High Desert Mavericks (Mariners) on Friday and Saturday nights to move into a three-way tie for second place with the Mavericks and the Lancaster JetHawks (Astros) just one game behind the division leading Lake Elsinore Storm (Padres) with only seven games remaining in the first half. The winner of the first half is guaranteed a spot in the Cal League-South division title game (against the winner of the second half), with the winner advancing to the Cal League Championship Series.

In two rehab starts with the Quakes, Juan Uribe is 3 for 6 with a home run, a triple, and 3 RBIs. (Photo courtesy of rcquakes.com)

Uribe is scheduled to play one final rehab game on Sunday afternoon and barring any setbacks, he will most likely be reactivated from the DL and join the Dodgers at home on Monday night when they open a 3-game interleague series with the Angels. Although it is unknown who will be sent back down to Triple-A Albuquerque to make room for Uribe on the 25-man roster, speculation is that it will be Ivan De Jesus Jr.