Giants Edge Ports 2-1 in 12
STOCKTON, Calif. - In a contest where hits were at a premium, the San Jose Giants got the last big hit of the ballgame on Friday night at Banner Island Ballpark. Elliott Blair, who drove in both Giants runs on the night, broke a 1-1 tie in the 12th inning with a home run to left field to lift the Giants to a 2-1 win over the Stockton Ports and putting a halt to Stockton's four-game win streak.
San Jose plated the game's first run in the second. With one out Mitch Delfino singled to right field and scored on a two-out RBI double by Blair to give the Giants a 1-0 lead. The run would be the only blemish for Ports starter Chris Lamb, who received a no-decision after tossing a season-high 6.2 innings and allowing three hits while walking four and striking out five.
Giants starter Kendry Flores found himself in a jam with runners at the corners and nobody out in the bottom of the third, but escaped trouble on a pop fly to the infield, a strikeout and a groundout. With those three outs, Flores began a stretch where he retired 12 batters in a row to take him into the seventh inning.
With Stockton trailing 1-0, Ryon Healy led off the seventh with a solo home run to left-center field, his second home run in as many nights that tied the game at 1-1. Flores proceeded to set down the next three batters to conclude his outing having retired 15 of the final 16 batters he faced in receiving a no-decision as he allowed two hits while striking out eight.
Omar Duran took over for Lamb and gave up a leadoff double in the eighth to Jesus Galindo. After Chuckie Jones struck out, Galindo advanced to third on a wild pitch and Brandon Bednar was intentionally walked to put runners at the corners with one out. Nolan Sanburn was then summoned from the Ports bullpen and would get Blake Miller to strike out swinging on a 3-2 pitch. Bednar was sent to second from first and thrown out by catcher Ryan Gorton for a double play to end the inning.
Stockton saw an opportunity to win the game in the ninth fall by the wayside. Giants reliever Tyler Rogers walked Matt Olson and gave up a single to Healy to start the inning. After Gorton laid down a sacrifice bunt, Jaycob Brugman was intentionally walked to load the bases with one out. Rogers, however, recorded back-to-back strikeouts looking of Bobby Crocker and Wade Kirkland to escape the jam and send the contest into extra innings.
After Sanburn pitched a scoreless 10th, Roldolfo Fernandez (0-1) took over in the 11th and kept the Giants off the board. In the 12th, however, Fernandez gave up a leadoff home run to Blair that vaulted the Giants ahead 2-1. Fernandez suffered his first loss as he allowed the one run on two hits in 1.2 innings pitched.
After Stephen Johnson (5-3) pitched a scoreless 11th, Tyler Mizenko (SV, 8) entered to pitch the 12th and after striking out Kirkland to start the inning, gave up a one-out single to Chad Oberacker. With Oberacker at first, Mizenko recorded back-to-back strikeouts looking of Daniel Robertson and Colin Walsh to end the ballgame and notch his eighth save of the season.
The Ports and Giants play the second game of their four-game set on Saturday night at Banner Island Ballpark. Yeiper Castillo (1-1, 8.78 ERA) makes the start for Stockton, opposed by San Jose left-hander Joe Kurrasch (7-2, 2.12 ERA). First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. PDT.