Late Thursday night after Rancho Cucamonga Quakes right-hander Parker Curry completed his brilliant (and perfect) four-inning save over the Lancaster JetHawks to give the Dodgers Advanced Single-A affiliate a two-games-to-one lead in the California League South Division finals, Quakes manager Drew Saylor received a telephone call from the Dodgers front office informing him that he was going to be receiving some help from the parent organization for Game-3 of the best- of-five playoff series on Friday evening.

“I didn’t know until late last night, early this morning, actually, that he was going to be here,” Saylor told ThinkBlue LA on Friday afternoon prior to Game-3.

The he is Dodgers right-hander Dennis Santana, who is recovering from a right rotator cuff strain suffered back on June 7 that landed him on the 60-day disabled list the following day.

“They told me that he is going to start and go one inning, around 25 pitches,” said Saylor.

Sure enough, the extremely popular 22-year-old San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic native, whom the Dodgers had signed as an amateur free agent in March of 2013, was on the mound when play began at LoanMart Field on Friday evening, much to the surprise of the hometown crowd.

Santana said that he felt “better than ever” after his one-inning rehab outing with the Quakes on Friday.
(Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

In his one inning of work, Santana did not allow a run or hit, while walking two and striking out one, doing so on 20 pitches, of which hine were strikes. His fastball topped out at 94-mph, while averaging 92-mph.

“I feel better than ever, you know,” Santana said in very good English after his brief but extremely important first rehab outing. “I working rehab for three months and now I come back to pitch with different team. I feel excited for that.”

Although a little rust was to be expected from the 6′-2″ / 160-pound hard-throwing right-hander, he insists that he is perfectly healthy and that it was the excitement of being in his first live-game action that caused him to throw more balls than strikes, although only by two.

“I feel really good, just too excited, play in the playoff for the fans of the team,” Santana said. “I was excited. Wow, I’m back.”

Santana’s repertoire included a mix of fastballs, slurves (slider/curve), and change-ups, all of which he threw with confidence and success.

After his brief one-inning rehab appearance, Santana was replaced on the mound by originally scheduled starter Edwin Uceta, who was, in a word, outstanding. Not only did the 20-year-old fellow Dominican (Villa Los Almacigos) continue Santana’s shutout, he did so while allowing only two hits and two walks, while striking out three in his 5.2 innings of work. In fact, one JetHawks beat writer who was in the photo well of the Lancaster dugout during the game overheard a frustrated JetHawks player tell another “I can’t hit this guy.”

“For me Uceta was fantastic,” said Saylor after the game. “That’s about as good of a game plan and good stuff and good of a pace that I’ve seen, especially coming from a nineteen-year-old that comes up here in the later part of the season, and to be able to do that against a very good Lancaster ball club. It was very special to watch.”

Although only 20 years old, Quakes right-hander Edwin Uceta absolutely handcuffed JetHawks hitters on Friday. Because Santana went only one inning in his rehab start, Uceta picked up the win to give Rancho a two-games-to-one lead in the best-of-five South Division Finals. (Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

But wait, there’s more!

In addition to a rehabbing Dodger Dennis Santana and also at the direction of the parent-club, right-hander Yimi Garcia also made a brief appearance in the eventual 1-0 Quakes shutout win on Friday night.

Garcia, who was optioned to Rancho Cucamonga from the Dodgers on August 30 to make room for returning Dodgers right-hander Josh Fields on the 25-man roster, allowed no runs, hits, or walks while striking out one in his brief 11-pitch outing, of which nine were strikes.

It has been speculated that the reason why the Dodgers chose to option the 28-year-old (wait for it…) Moca, Dominican Republic native to Rancho Cucamonga instead of Triple-A Oklahoma City (or Double-A Tulsa) was to keep him geographically close to Los Angeles in the event that the Dodgers might need to recall him during their final three weeks of the regular season games. That being said, he must remain off the Dodgers roster for 10 days before he is eligible to return to the big league club, which will be on Sunday, September 9.

As for that lone Quakes run on Friday night, it came at the hands of Rancho’s hottest hitter during the second half of the 2018 season, Quakes shortstop Omar Estevez, who slugged a line drive solo home run over the left field wall and into the pine trees at LoanMart Field in the bottom of the sixth inning for the only run of the two-hour and 19-minute contest.

“I think it goes back to the cult that we try to create here,” Saylor said. “It’s all of us together and that’s one of the words that’s been the focal point of the season is, no matter what happens, we’ve gotta do it together, and we gotta fight for one another, we gotta be able to sacrifice for one another. And I think when you see guys come up, and a different guy every single night, it further galvanizes the belief that we have as a coaching staff and the belief that we have as a team.”

During the final three weeks of the regular season, Estevez put together a 23-game hitting streak, the longest in the California League in 2018, topping a 20-game hitting streak put together by JetHawks third baseman Colton Welker earlier in the season.

Estevez was the Quakes hottest hitter during the second half of the season. His sixth-inning home run on Friday night was the only run scored in the well-played pitchers duel. (Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

With the Quakes now up two games to one in the series, they hope to lock down a spot in the 2018 Cal League Championship Series on Saturday evening in front of their home crowd when they send (relative) newcomer Max Gamboa to the mound. The 22-year-old Greenbrae, California native and Dodgers 18th round draft pick in 2017 out of Pepperdine University was promoted to the Quakes from Low Single-A Great Lakes on July 30 and has posted a 4-2 record and 6.56 ERA in his nine starts since joining the Dodgers High-A affiliate.

Go Quakes!