Noonan ends five-hit night with walk-off

Nick Noonan put in extra work before Tuesday's game, watching video of his swing in recent days. That's when he noticed a change he could make.

"I figured something out about staying on top of the ball with my swings," he said. "I took it into the game, and I think that was the difference for me."

The Giants prospect certainly made an impact, collecting five hits, including a walk-off single in the 13th inning, as the Triple-A Fresno Grizzlies outlasted the Sacramento River Cats, 8-7.

Noonan raised his average 13 points to .312 with his second career five-hit effort. The other came on Aug. 1, 2010 with Double-Richmond.

"We were battling the whole game, going back and forth," he said. "It seemed like a roller-coaster type of game. ... It feels good to celebrate on the field a bit."

The highlight of Noonan's night came in the 13th, when he stepped to the plate with one out and runners on the corners. Brett Pill advanced to second on a wild pitch that brought the count to 2-0, but the River Cats chose not to intentionally walk him, instead playing the odds with a matchup of left-handers.

"Left-on-left is always pretty tough," Noonan said. "I assumed they went with that to try to get something weak [hit]. ... You've got to tip your cap, they want to pitch to you. They're going to throw their best stuff at you."

After falling behind early, big league veteran Fabio Castro was able to get Noonan into a full count. The 23-year-old shortstop fouled off a fastball but didn't miss on the seventh pitch he saw.

"The one I hit back up the middle was a fastball more in the middle of the plate," Noonan said. "I was able to get on top and get it past the pitcher."

Noonan had smacked two doubles and two singles earlier in the night, plating two runs before the game-winner. He also made a key defensive play in the top of the 13th, relaying a throw from left fielder Chris Dominguez to nail Eric Sogard trying to score from first on Chris Carter's double.

"Dominguez delivered the ball right to me and I made a nice transfer to get the ball to [catcher] Eli [Whiteside]," Noonan said. "He made a nice swipe tag and we got him out there."

The game was the longest in terms of innings for both teams. It also was a contest for first place in the division as the Grizzlies moved a half-game in front of the River Cats in the Pacific Coast League's Pacific South.

"They're a good team," Noonan said. "It's first and second right there with each other. Every game we've played against them has been a good game. Every game has been really cool, and both teams just battled."

So what does it mean to win the latest "battle?"

"It's so hard getting runs late in the ballgame, everyone's trying to do something," Noonan said. "When you get those shots to win, it's nice to take advantage of them."

The teams combined for 33 hits, with Manny Ramirez going 3-for-5 with a pair of RBIs and A's No. 5 prospect Grant Green also driving in two runs for Sacramento. Fresno's Jackson Williams was 4-for-5 with two doubles and two runs scored.