Sandoval, Giants Sink Ports 4-2
STOCKTON, Calif. - Pablo Sandoval has given the San Jose Giants a huge lift over two games on Major League rehab at Banner Island Ballpark. Sandoval, rehabbing a strained left foot, hit his second home run in as many games on Saturday night and went 3-for-3 as the Giants beat the Stockton Ports 4-2 before a crowd of 5,479, the largest of the year at Banner Island Ballpark.
Stockton put runners at the corners with nobody out in the first, but Giants starter Adalberto Mejia recorded three straight strikeouts to escape the jam. Despite coming up empty in the first, Stockton scored the game's first run in the second on a solo home run hit by Phil Pohl to take a 1-0 lead.
Mejia allowed just the one run while striking out seven over four innings of work in his first start since May 4th as he was activated from the disabled list.
San Jose countered with a run in the top of the third. After singles from Brock Bond and Sandoval put two aboard with one out, Angel Villalona singled to left off Ports starter Tanner Peters to tie the game at 1-1.
San Jose took its first lead in the fifth when Sandoval stepped up and delivered his second homer in as many nights, a solo blast to right that gave the Giants a 2-1 lead.
Sandoval's home run was the final run allowed by Peters, who received a no-decision after tossing six innings and allowing nine hits while striking out four.
Sandoval, who was lifted from the game prior to the bottom of the seventh, went 3-for-3 with the home run and a pair of singles.
The Ports tied the score in the sixth when B.A. Vollmuth homered off Giants reliever Stephen Harrold, knotting the game at 2-2. It was the only run allowed by Harrold in his two innings of relief.
After Pedro Vidal worked a perfect seventh inning, Blake Hassebrock (2-4) was summoned to pitch the eighth. After retiring the first two batters, Hassebrock gave up three straight singles to Mac Williamson, Devin Harris and Jeff Arnold, with Arnold's scoring Williamson to give the Giants a 3-2 advantage.
Hassebrock went just the one inning and suffered the loss after allowing the one run on three hits.
San Jose added an insurance run in the ninth as they loaded the bases on a single, a walk and a hit batsman and scored on a sac-fly by Villalona to make it 4-2. The run came off Ports reliever Jonathan Joseph, who worked the ninth for Stockton.
Jose Casilla pitched a scoreless seventh and eighth for the Giants and Bryce Bandilla (SV, 4) tossed a scoreless ninth to earn his fourth save of the season. Casilla and Bandilla combined to allow just one hit over the final three innings.
The Ports and Giants wrap up their four-game set with a Sunday matinee at Banner Island Ballpark. Raul Alcantara (0-0, 0.00 ERA) makes his California League debut for Stockton, opposed by San Jose right-hander Clayton Blackburn (3-3, 4.25 ERA). First pitch is set for 2:09 p.m. PDT.