10th Inning Home Run Drops Giants

SAN JOSE, CA - Lake Elsinore's Gabriel Quintana hit a tiebreaking two-run home run in the top of the 10th inning and the Storm held on for a 5-4 victory over the San Jose Giants on Wednesday evening at Municipal Stadium. The loss was San Jose's third straight to begin the series - all by the identical final score - and their 11th defeat in the last 13 games overall.  

Austin Slater (1-for-5, 2B, RBI) extended his hitting streak to 10 games for the Giants in the loss. San Jose finished the contest with eight hits and was just 2-for-14 with runners in scoring position.

With the game tied 3-3, Lake Elsinore's Nick Schultz drew a one-out walk facing Dan Slania in the top of the 10th to put a runner on base. Slania came back to strikeout the next hitter, Fernando Perez, but Quintana followed by crushing a 2-0 pitch over the fence in center field for a go-ahead homer. The home run was Quintana's second of the season.  

The Giants rallied in the bottom of the 10th as a leadoff single from Hunter Cole and a one-out single off the bat of Brian Ragira put the potential tying runs on base. Dylan Davis then stepped to plate and lined a single into right center to load the bases. Matt Pare was up next for San Jose and he hit a grounder to first that saw the Storm force out Davis at second base. A run scored on the play to make it 5-4 while Ragira, the possible tying run, advanced to third. The Giants though would fall short as pinch-hitter Ryder Jones followed with a line drive into right center that was tracked down by center fielder Auston Bousfield to end the game.

Genison Reyes (1-1) was credited with the win out of the Lake Elsinore bullpen after tossing a scoreless bottom of the ninth. Eric Yardley pitched the 10th inning for his league-leading seventh save of the year.

Slania (0-2) struck out five batters over two innings of work, but was saddled with the loss after surrendering the go-ahead home run in the top of the 10th.

For a third straight game, the Giants scored first in the contest pushing across a run in the bottom of the second. Davis led off by drawing a walk before Pare singled to put runners on the corners. Brandon Bednar was up next and he grounded into a 6-4-3 double play with Davis coming home to make it 1-0.

Keury Mella started on the mound for San Jose and breezed through the first two innings before running into trouble in the top of the third. A one-out single from Yale Rosen started the Storm rally before Jose Rondon was hit by a pitch. Bousfield then singled to load the bases and after Marcus Davis struck out, Schulz lined a two-out, two-RBI single into left for a 2-1 Lake Elsinore advantage.

The Giants immediately tied the game in the bottom of the third as John Polonius walked to leadoff, moved to second on Jesus Galindo's sacrifice bunt and scored when Slater clubbed a two-out double into the right field corner.

After Mella worked a 1-2-3 top of the fourth, the Storm scratched across a run in the fifth inning to reclaim the lead. After a one-out walk to Rondon, Brousfield singled putting runners on first and third. Davis followed with a sacrifice fly to left to make it 3-2 Lake Elsinore.

Mella was charged with three runs (all earned) on five hits over five innings of work. He walked one, struck out two and threw 91 pitches.

San Jose managed only two hits from the fourth though the seventh innings - a pair of singles in the fifth from Polonius and Galindo. The Giants though battled back to tie the game with a run in the bottom of the eighth. Cole drew a leadoff walk and after Slater struck out, stole second and moved to third when the throw from catcher Adolfo Reina bounced into shallow center. Travis Ishikawa then delivered a sacrifice fly to left plating Cole to tie the contest 3-3.

San Jose had an opportunity to win the game in the bottom of the ninth as Bednar singled with one out before Brennan Metzger reached base on catcher's interference. Polonius then grounded into a force out with Bednar, the potential winning run, advancing to third, however Galindo flied out to center to end the inning.

Notes:
* The Giants fell to 0-2 in extra-inning games this season.
* Both teams finished with eight hits on Wednesday. Eight San Jose players had one hit.
* Ishikawa went 0-for-3 with a sacrifice fly in the third game of his rehabilitation assignment (2-for-10 overall).
* Martin Agosta worked three scoreless innings of relief from the sixth through the eighth with two hits allowed, one walk and three strikeouts. He has a 1.10 ERA (2 ER/16.1 IP) as a reliever this year.
* Slater's 10-game hit streak is tied for the longest by a Giants player this season (Ryder Jones, 10 games, April 12-22).
* 11 of San Jose's 19 losses this season have come by one or two runs, including seven out of the last eight.
* Quintana hit 18 home runs last season for Lake Elsinore.

On Deck: The Giants and Storm conclude their four-game series on Thursday evening with first pitch at Municipal Stadium scheduled for 7:00 PM. D.J. Snelten (0-3, 5.21 ERA) is slated to start on the mound for San Jose while Lake Elsinore is expected to counter with Zech Lemond (1-1, 4.00 ERA). It's a Thirsty Thursday at the ballpark and tickets can be purchased by calling (408) 297-1435 or by visiting sjgiants.com.