Brusa Sinks Ports With 10th Inning Home Run

SAN JOSE, CA - Down to their last out for a second straight game, the Giants again had late magic at Municipal Stadium. Gio Brusa lined a two-out, two-run home run to left in the bottom of the 10th inning to lift the San Jose Giants to a 5-4 walk-off victory over the Stockton Ports on Sunday afternoon. Brusa's game-winning homer came one day after Jalen Miller hit a walk-off home run in the 11th inning as San Jose (7-4) claimed three out of four in the series from Stockton.
The Giants rallied from a late 3-0 deficit in the series finale scoring once in the bottom of the seventh before a two-run ninth-inning sent the contest into extras. After Stockton reclaimed the lead with a run in the top of the 10th, Brusa sent San Jose to victory with his dramatic two-run home run in the bottom of the frame.
Other standouts Sunday included Heath Quinn (4-for-4, 2B), who had four hits as a part of a perfect afternoon at the plate. Brandon Van Horn (2-for-3, RBI) added two hits, including a game-tying sacrifice fly in the bottom of the ninth.
The Giants' comeback effort began in the bottom of the seventh. Down by three runs, the inning started with a walk to Jacob Heyward. After the next two batters were set down, Johneshwy Fargas hammered a double to the fence in deep center scoring Heyward all the way from first base to trim the Ports lead to 3-1.
The score was still at 3-1 when San Jose came to the plate in the bottom of the ninth. Quinn led off with a single down the left field line - his fourth hit of the game. A wild pitch then advanced Quinn to second before a one-out single from Heyward put runners on the corners. Jeff Arnold was up next and he lined a single into right bringing home Quinn to cut the deficit to 3-2. Heyward, the potential tying run, advanced to third on the play. Van Horn then stepped to the plate and hit a sacrifice fly to deep left center as Heyward scored to tie the game 3-3.
Rodolfo Martinez entered from the Giants bullpen to begin the top of the 10th with the automatic runner at second base for Stockton, per the new minor league extra-inning rules. Edwin Diaz was the first batter of the inning for the Ports and he lined a single into right to move the lead runner, Nate Mondou, to third base. Kevin Merrell then chopped a single over the head of the second baseman Miller and into shallow right for an RBI single as Mondou scored for a 4-3 Stockton lead. San Jose right fielder Sandro Fabian did throw out Diaz at third on the play though and then Martinez retired the next two Ports batters to keep the deficit at a single run.
In the bottom of the 10th, Fargas was the automatic runner at second to start the inning for the Giants. Miller led off with a sacrifice bunt attempt, but the play saw Stockton reliever Brandon Marzonek field the bunt and throw out Fargas for the first out of the inning. Frandy De La Rosa then grounded into a fielder's choice with Miller forced out at second to set the stage for Brusa. With a count of 0-1, Brusa pulled a line drive down the left field line that sailed over the fence for a two-run home run. The homer was Brusa's third of the season as the Giants walked-off 5-4 winners.
Martinez (1-0) earned the win for San Jose after pitching the top of the 10th and surrendering just one unearned run.
Marsonek (0-1) took the loss for the Ports.
Stockton built their initial 3-0 lead with single tallies in the first, fifth and seventh innings. Rehabbing Oakland A's utility man Chad Pinder belted a solo home run in the top of the first off of Giants starter Melvin Adon for the first run of the day. In the fifth, Will Toffey drew a walk, advanced to second on Eric Mariñez's single, took third on a sacrifice bunt and scored when Mondou hit a sacrifice fly. The Ports then pushed their lead to 3-0 in the top of the seventh as Toffey led off with a single and immediately scored when the next batter, Marinez doubled to left center.
Adon pitched a season-high six innings for San Jose yielding just two hits and two runs (both earned). The right-hander, who retired 13 straight Stockton hitters after Pinder's first-inning homer, walked one and struck out four during his 86-pitch outing. Adon became the first Giants starting pitcher this season to complete six innings.
Notes
* Brusa and Miller, who each supplied an extra-inning walk-off home run over the last two days, also each hit for the cycle in last Wednesday's game at Lancaster.
* San Jose had not hit a walk-off home run since the 2015 season (Seth Harrison, 6/7/2015 vs. High Desert) prior to this weekend.
* The victories on Saturday and Sunday were the first back-to-back extra-inning wins for the Giants at Municipal Stadium since the 2004 season (July 17-18, 2004 vs. Visalia).
* San Jose out-hit Stockton 11-6 on Sunday.
* Quinn raised his season batting average from .194 to .286 with his four-hit game.
* San Francisco Giants left-hander Will Smith faced four batters in the top of the seventh inning in his second rehab appearance. Smith, who is returning from Tommy John surgery, pitched 2/3 of an inning with one run and two hits allowed. He also struck out two.
* Brusa is tied for second in the California League with three home runs.
On Deck
The Giants next travel to Visalia for a three-game series against the Rawhide. Monday's series opener is a 6:00 PM first pitch at Recreation Park. Logan Webb (0-1, 2.25 ERA) is slated to start on the mound for San Jose while Visalia is expected to counter with Bo Takahashi (1-0, 1.80 ERA). The game can be heard live on sjgiants.com with coverage beginning at 5:40 PM.