If you love exciting baseball, and I mean really exciting baseball, do yourself a favor and get on over to LoanMart Field in Rancho Cucamonga – or wherever the Quakes happen to be playing. If you do, chances are you’re going to see the Quakes come from behind and win. It doesn’t seem to matter if they’re behind by one run or six runs, as they were after two innings on Wednesday morning for a rare 10:35 am game against the Bakersfield Blaze (Mariners).

For the fifth time in their last six games, the Quakes came from behind to win – once against the High Desert Mavericks (Rangers) and three in a row against the Blaze.

“It’s awesome, this group of guys are fantastic. Our manager, hitting coach, pitching coach, Raffy (Rafael Ozuna) over there at first base, we’ve got a great staff,” said Quakes third baseman Michael Ahmed after the game. “The guys on the team, we’re ‘never say die.’ We’re all about winning and trying to get it done. We know just based on the last few games we’re never out of a game, so we always just try to fight and go out and get back in it. We can do it and we’ll do it all year long.”

Michael Ahmed’s seventh inning two-run home run ended up being the game-winner in Wednesday’s 12-10 victory over Bakersfield. (Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

If Ahmed has the kind of game he had on Wednesday there is no doubt they’ll do it all year long. The 24-year-old Springfield, Massachusetts native and younger brother of Arizona Diamondbacks shortstop Nick Ahmed went 4 for 4 with home run, three RBIs and two runs scored.

“I’ve been struggling a little lately but all I was trying to do today was make sure I was ready to hit and be on time and I think that helped me see the ball a little bit better,” Ahmed said. “I got my first couple of hits and that helped me relax a little bit and from there is was just making sure I was staying on time.”

Ahmed acknowledged that he got a bit lucky on his crucial bottom of the seventh inning two-run blast, which ended up being the difference maker in the eventual 12-10 Quakes win.

“It was a curveball he kind of left up in the zone. I saw the ball well the whole at-bat,” Ahmed said. “He threw me a curveball on the pitch before too and I just managed to hit the ball down the line [foul]. Luckily, he left that one up and I was able to put it in play.”

Quakes manager Drew Saylor had high praise for his team’s ability to come from behind, noting that right fielder Joey Curletta has been a big part of his team’s recent success.

“He always seems to be the guy in that big situation,” said Saylor of Curletta. “He’s been putting together some really good at bats and he’s been hitting some balls hard and now they’re starting to fall a little bit.”

It was Curletta’s seventh-inning bases clearing double that turned a then 8-7 deficit into a 10-8 lead – a lead that the Quakes would not relinquished.

“Joey’s kind of a guy who’s an even-keel type of person, there’s not a lot of highs, not a lot of lows,” added Saylor. “He’s the kind of guy that goes out there and competes and does a good job for us.”

After chipping away at a 6-0 Blaze lead, outfielder Joey Curletta gave the Quakes a 10-8 lead with his three-RBI double in the seventh inning. (Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

Although Quakes starter Grant Holmes didn’t figure in the decision in Wednesday’s contest, he pitched well but was victimized by a number of “soft hits.”

“I think there were four soft hits in a row that were either broken bat or just capped,” Saylor said. “That’s just the way it goes sometimes, unfortunately.”

Holmes, the Dodgers 2014 first round draft pick, allowed six runs on eight hits while walking two and striking out seven in his 4.0 innings of work. He was followed on the hill by right-hander Bubby Rossman, left-hander Luis De Paula and right-hander Karch Kowalczyk, with De Paula picking up the win (2-1) and Kowalczyk the save (2).

Even though Grant Holmes didn’t figure in the decision, his teammates’ 19 hits on the day prevented him from suffering a loss. (Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

The Quakes conclude their four game series with the Blaze on Thursday night at LoanMart Field. They will send Cuban star right-hander Yaisel Sierra (0-0, 6.75 ERA) to the mound for his second professional start. Sierra will square off against Blaze right-hander Tyler Herb (2-0, 1.88 ERA) with first pitch set for 7:05 pm.