Giants Edge Ports 2-1 In Second Half Opener

STOCKTON, Calif. - In a tightly pitched ballgame, the Stockton Ports opened the 2013 second half with a 2-1 loss to the San Jose Giants at Banner Island Ballpark on Thursday night. By night's end, however, the storyline focused on San Francisco Giants outfielder Angel Pagan, who appeared to suffer a knee injury running out a ground ball to end the ninth inning and had to be carted off the field.

Stockton struck for their first and only run in the bottom of the first inning. After Ports starter James Simmons (4-2) escaped a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the top half, Bobby Crocker doubled to open the home half. After a throwing error on an errant throw to back to the mound allowed Crocker to reach third, Addison Russell drove him home with a sac-fly to center to give the Ports a 1-0 lead.

The first inning run was unearned and it was the only run allowed by Giants starter Eric Surkamp, who went four innings in his fourth start in Major League rehab and allowed just the unearned run on two hits while striking out three.

San Jose's bullpen featured five different relievers who each tossed a scoreless inning. Jose Casilla (2-2), Jason Forjet, Cody Hall, Bryce Bandilla and Josh Osich (SV, 10) combined to shut the Stockton offense down on just one hit allowed over the final five frames.

The Giants tied the score at 1-1 on a one-out RBI single by Brock Bond, scoring Chris Lofton who reached on a bunt single to open the inning. San Jose took its first lead in the fourth. With the bases empty and two outs, Myles Schroeder took a 1-2 pitch from Simmons over the right field wall to give the Giants a 2-1 advantage.

Simmons suffered his second loss as he allowed two runs on five hits over six innings pitched.

Seth Frankoff and newcomer Ryan Dull combined to shut the Giants down over the final three innings on just one hit allowed.

Stockton's best chance to score the tying run came in the sixth, when Russell tripled with two outs off Forjet. Forjet, though, intentionally walked Max Muncy and then completed a strikeout of the side by getting B.A. Vollmuth to end the inning.

Pagan, who entered the game in the fourth inning on Major League rehab for the Giants, came to bat with two outs in the ninth and hit a routine grounder to second. Antonio Lamas fielded and threw to first, and Pagan fell to the ground as he approached first base, clutching his left knee. Pagan was taken back to the clubhouse after being helped on to a cart as the teams waited to start the ninth inning.

Vollmuth, who went 0-for-4 with a pair of strikeouts, saw a 16-game hit streak come to an end.

The Ports and Giants play the second game of their four-game set on Friday night at Banner Island Ballpark. Left-hander Shaeffer Hall (1-1, 6.16 ERA) makes the start for Stockton, opposed by San Jose right-hander Kyle Crick (0-1, 0.93 ERA). Pablo Sandoval is scheduled to join San Jose on Major League rehab. First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. PDT.