Giants Suffer 7-6 Loss In Game One
Gary Brown (2-for-4, 2B) scored three times and Tommy Joseph (2-for-4, 2 RBI) had a pair of run-scoring hits to lead the Giants offensively. Jarrett Parker (1-for-3, HR, RBI, SB) added a solo homer while Nick Noonan (1-for-3, 2 RBI) contributed a key two-out, two-run single.
Starting pitcher Craig Westcott struggled on the mound to take the loss as the right-hander allowed seven runs (all earned) on seven hits over six innings of work. Westcott walked three and struck out six.
While trailing by a 7-5 margin, San Jose had two costly baserunning mistakes that ended the seventh and eighth innings. In the bottom of the seventh, Ryan Cavan was hit by a pitch with two outs to bring the potential tying run to the plate. However, Cavan was thrown out at second by Ports catcher Ryan Lipkin as he attempted to advance on a pitch in the dirt to finish the inning.
In the bottom of the eighth, Alex Burg led off with an infield single before Carter Jurica drew a one-out walk. Juan Ciriaco then lined out to right to bring Brown, as the potential go-ahead run, to the plate. Ports reliever Connor Hoehn bounced a pitch in the dirt as both runners tried to move up, however Lipkin easily gunned down Jurica at second base to again stop the rally.
The Giants plated one run in the bottom of the ninth as Brown singled to leadoff, moved to second on defensive indifference with two outs and scored on Joseph's two-strike single to left. Stockton closer Jose Guzman though recovered to strikeout Cavan on three pitches to finish the game.
A.J. Huttenlocker was credited with the victory after tossing 2 2/3 scoreless innings out of the bullpen with just one hit allowed, one walk and two strikeouts. Hoehn then held San Jose off the scoreboard in the seventh and eighth before Guzman pitched the ninth to earn the save.
The game began as a back-and-forth contest with the Ports taking the early lead on Michael Choice's two-out, solo homer in the top of the first inning. The Giants answered in the bottom of the first as Brown led off with a double down the left field line before advancing to third on Ehire Adrianza's sacrifice bunt. After Noonan walked, Joseph bounced a single into right plating Brown to tie the game. Cavan then stepped to the plate and lined an RBI single into right center field as Noonan scored to make it 2-1. Stockton starter Rob Gilliam though was able to limit the damage inducing the next hitter, Burg, to bounce into an inning-ending double play.
The Ports immediately tied the game in the top of the second as Michael Gilmartin doubled with one out and scored on LeVier's two-out single to right.
After neither team scored in the third, Stockton erupted in the top of the fourth against Westcott. The San Jose starter issued consecutive four-pitch walks to begin the inning before Dusty Coleman's one-out infield single loaded the bases. LeVier was up next and he crushed a 1-0 pitch from Westcott over the fence in right center field for a grand slam. The home run was LeVier's second of the postseason and it gave the Ports a 6-2 lead.
The Giants responded with three runs of their own in the bottom of the fourth as Parker belted the first pitch of the inning for a solo homer to right. Jurica followed the home run by drawing a walk and then Brown walked with one out to force a pitching chance. Huttenlocker was summoned from the bullpen, but after retiring Adrianza on a groundout to move the runners to second and third, Noonan singled sharply up the middle to plate both Jurica and Brown. The hit cut the Ports lead to 6-5 and Joseph then walked to put the go-ahead run on base, however Huttenlocker recovered to strikeout Cavan ending the inning.
Westcott set down five straight hitters after the LeVier slam, but ran into trouble in the sixth as Lipkin singled to leadoff before Gilmartin walked. After back-to-back fielder's choice groundouts from Coleman and LeVier, Rashun Dixon blooped an RBI single into shallow right making it 7-5.
Huttenlocker retired the last seven San Jose batters that he faced, including perfect fifth and sixth innings of work before Hoehn entered the contest to begin the bottom of the seventh.
LeVier (2-for-4, HR, 5 RBI) drove home five runs and was the only Stockton player to finish with a multi-hit game. The Ports out-hit the Giants by a 9-8 margin.
Notes: Saturday's attendance of 4,037 was the largest postseason home crowd in San Jose Giants history ... Over his last three starts combining the regular season and the playoffs, Westcott has allowed 19 earned runs in 17 innings (10.06 ERA) ... The Giants were 4-for-10 with runners in scoring position ... San Jose relievers Chris Gloor (1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 SO) and Stephen Harrold (2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 SO) combined to hold Stockton scoreless over the last three innings ... LeVier is batting .417 (5-for-12) with two homers and seven RBI's in three playoff games this year.
On Deck: The Giants and Ports will play Game Two of the best-of-five North Division Series on Sunday evening with first pitch at Municipal Stadium scheduled for 5:00 PM. Chris Heston (12-4, 3.16 ERA) is slated to start on the mound for San Jose while Stockton is expected to counter with Jake Brown (5-7, 5.55 ERA). It's a KBAY's Giant Sunday at the ballpark and tickets can be purchased by calling (408) 297-1435 or by visiting www.sjgiants.com.
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