Missed Opportunities Cost Giants In 3-2 Loss
STOCKTON, CA - The San Jose Giants went 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position and left 13 on base in a narrow 3-2 defeat to the Stockton Ports on Sunday evening at Banner Island Ballpark. A bases loaded walk in the bottom of the seventh inning gave Stockton the lead
STOCKTON, CA - The San Jose Giants went 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position and left 13 on base in a narrow 3-2 defeat to the Stockton Ports on Sunday evening at Banner Island Ballpark. A bases loaded walk in the bottom of the seventh inning gave Stockton the lead for good as the Ports claimed two out of three games in the series. With the loss, the Giants (51-69 overall, 17-33 second half) fell six games behind first-place Stockton (23-27) in the second half North Division standings with 20 to play.
San Jose threatened early as three straight walks to
The Ports then jumped in front with a pair of runs in the bottom of the first against Giants starter
San Jose cut the Ports lead in half with a single tally in the top of the third. Miller led off with a single before stealing second. Quinn then walked before Dobson flied out to shallow center and Brusa struck out. Johnson was up next and he grounded a double down the right field line to bring home Miller with the first Giants run of the contest. Quinn stopped at third on the play and then Beltre was hit by a pitch to load the bases. San Jose though would leave the bases loaded for the second time in three innings as
The Giants would tie the game 2-2 in the top of the fifth when Johnson crushed a pitch from Friedrichs over the fence in deep right center for a solo home run. San Jose had an opportunity then to take the lead in the sixth as Miller was hit by a pitch with two outs before Quinn walked, however Dobson struck out swinging to end the inning.
Meanwhile, Sano settled down after the first and did not allow another run for the remainder of his outing. The right-hander had retired eight straight Stockton batters until
The Giants again threatened to take the lead in the top of the seventh, but left the possible go-ahead run at third base. With one out, Johnson singled for his third hit of the game. Beltre then hammered a double to deep right advancing Johnson to third. Corbett though struck out on three pitches and
San Jose though would not muster another baserunner for the remainder of the game. With Stockton ahead by a run,
Krall (3-1), who worked the seventh and eighth innings out of the Stockton bullpen with no runs allowed, picked-up the win. Duno collected his 14th save.
Martinez (3-9) suffered his team-leading ninth loss of the season for the Giants.
Notes
* The Giants have still not won a road series in the second half. San Jose's last road series win was June 8-10 at Modesto.
* The Giants' 13 runners left on base was one off their season-high.
* Johnson's home run was the first of his professional career. The homer came in his 604th career at-bat.
* Stockton pitching recorded 14 strikeouts. The relief trio of
* Sano pitched a season-high tying six innings with two runs (both earned) and six hits allowed. He walked three and struck out six. Sano owns a 2.45 ERA (6 ER/22.0 IP) over his last four starts.
* The Ports out-hit the Giants 8-7. The #1 through #5 spots in the San Jose lineup went a combined 1-for-18.
* The Giants played their league-leading 41st one-run game of the season (18-23 record).
On Deck
The Giants continue their road trip on Monday evening with the opener of a three-game series against the Inland Empire 66ers. First pitch at San Manuel Stadium is scheduled for 7:05 PM.