Eighth-Inning Rally Lifts Giants To 5-3 Victory
MODESTO, CA - The San Jose Giants scored three runs in the top of the eighth to rally for a 5-3 series-opening victory over the Modesto Nuts on Thursday evening at John Thurman Field. Dylan Davis' RBI single in the eighth tied the game before a throwing error committed by Nuts catcher Dom Nunez later in the inning scored two more runs giving the Giants the lead. San Jose (55-49) has now won seven out of their last nine games.
Ronnie Jebavy (2-for-5, RBI, SB) and Cristian Paulino (2-for-4, 2B) had two hits apiece to lead the Giants offensively. San Jose overcame a 3-0 deficit in the contest scoring twice in the top of the fifth before their three-run eighth inning.
D.J. Snelten (4-7) was credited with the win out of the Giants bullpen after tossing a scoreless bottom of the seventh. Reyes Moronta (1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO) pitched the ninth inning and stranded the potential tying runs on base to pick-up his seventh save of the year.
Single runs in the first, third and fourth innings gave the Nuts a 3-0 lead before San Jose rallied. Modesto starter Helmis Rodriguez had retired 11 consecutive Giants hitters until Daniel Carbonell led off the top of the fifth by reaching on an error. T.J. Bennett then crushed a triple off the fence in deep left center to score Carbonell with the first San Jose run of the night. Rene Melendez was up next and he hit a grounder to shortstop. Bennett attempted to score on the play, but was thrown out at the plate by Emerson Jimenez for the first out of the inning. Paulino though followed with a double into the left field corner to move Melendez to third before Jebavy's RBI groundout brought the Giants to within 3-2.
Rodriguez set down San Jose 1-2-3 in the sixth and seventh innings, but ran into trouble in the top of the eighth. Jebavy led off with a single on a grounder to deep short and moved to second on Robbie Garvey's sacrifice bunt. Davis then grounded a single into left to easily score Jebavy with the tying run. After Jonah Arenado singled and Miguel Gomez fanned for the second out, Rodriguez was removed from the game in favor of reliever Logan Cozart. Carbonell was up next and he struck out on three pitches. However, the strike three pitch was in the dirt and bounced to the backstop behind home plate. The catcher Nunez quickly retrieved the ball, but his throw to first in an effort to retire Carbonell sailed down the right field line. The error allowed both Davis and Arenado to score giving the Giants a 5-3 lead.
Tyler Cyr (1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 SO) entered from the bullpen to begin the bottom of the eighth and promptly set down Shane Hoelscher on a fly out. Collin Ferguson then lined a ball off the fence in right, but was thrown out at second on the play by Carbonell as he attempted to stretch the hit into a double. Cyr followed by walking Nunez, but then retired Max White on a groundout to end the inning.
With the score still 5-3, Moronta was summoned for the bottom of the ninth and allowed a one-out single to Jimenez. After Omar Carrizales popped out, Forrest Wall singled to left to put the potential tying run on base. Moronta though struck out the next hitter, Drew Weeks, on a 3-2 pitch to finish the game.
Rodriguez (2-7) was saddled with the loss after yielding five runs (one earned) in 7 2/3 innings. The left-hander surrendered six hits, walked two and struck out five.
Jordan Johnson started on the mound for San Jose and allowed his first two runs on wild pitches. In the bottom of the first, Carrizales led off with a single, stole second, moved to third on Wall's sacrifice bunt and scored on a wild pitch. Then in the third, Wall tripled to deep center with one out and also came home on a wild pitch.
Nunez extended the Modesto lead to 3-0 with a solo home run in the bottom of the fourth.
Johnson finished his night with back-to-back scoreless innings retiring the final five batters he faced. Over six innings, Johnson gave up three runs (all earned) and five hits. He walked four and struck out four during his 93-pitch outing.
Snelten pitched around a leadoff single and a two-out walk in the bottom of the seventh to keep the deficit at a single run before the Giants rallied in the eighth.
Notes -
* Thursday was the opener of a seven-game road trip for the Giants.
* San Jose won for just the second time in their last nine road games.
* The Nuts out-hit the Giants 9-8. Modesto was 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position and left nine on base.
* San Jose won their third game this season when trailing after seven innings (all in July).
* Moronta is 7-for-8 in save opportunities this year (2.08 ERA).
* The Giants improved to 12-9 against the Nuts this season.
* Davis (1-for-4, RBI) extended his hitting streak to six games.
* The temperature at first pitch was 102 degrees.
On Deck: The Giants and Nuts continue their four-game series on Friday evening with first pitch at John Thurman Field scheduled for 7:05 PM. Jose Reyes (3-3, 4.25 ERA) is slated to start on the mound for San Jose while Modesto is expected to counter with Jack Wynkoop (3-2, 3.03 ERA). The game can be heard live on sjgiants.com with coverage beginning at 6:35 PM.