SAN JOSE, CA - The Stockton Ports scored four runs in the top of the eighth inning to rally for an 8-6 victory over the San Jose Giants on Wednesday evening at Municipal Stadium. Sandber Pimentel hit a game-tying two-run homer during the decisive eighth-inning rally before one of San
SAN JOSE, CA - The Stockton Ports scored four runs in the top of the eighth inning to rally for an 8-6 victory over the San Jose Giants on Wednesday evening at Municipal Stadium. Sandber Pimentel hit a game-tying two-run homer during the decisive eighth-inning rally before one of San Jose's season-high tying five errors allowed the go-ahead run to score for the Ports. With the loss, the Giants (36-41 overall, 2-5 second half) have now dropped two out of the first three games in the series to Stockton.
Heath Quinn (2-for-4, HR, RBI) homered as part of a two-hit night to lead San Jose offensively in defeat. Gio Brusa (2-for-4, 2B) added a pair of hits while Matt Winn (1-for-4, 2B, 2 RBI) drove home two runs.
The back-and-forth contest saw Stockton jump out to an early 4-0 lead with a four-run top of the second. With one out, Jason Goldstein reached on a fielding error committed by Wander Franco at third base to start the rally. Giants starter Mac Marshall then suffered an apparent injury while delivering a pitch to the next batter, Pimentel, and was forced to leave the game. Jeff Burke was summoned from the bullpen and he promptly allowed a two-run home run to Pimentel as the Ports took a 2-0 lead. Brallan Perez followed by reaching on another error - a fielding miscue at second by Jalen Miller. Luke Persico then singled before a Burke wild pitch advanced the runners to second and third. Dairon Blanco was up next and he hit a grounder to shortstop that was thrown away to first by Brandon Van Horn for the third error of the inning. Blanco was credited with an RBI on the play as Perez scored the third run of the frame. Then after Jonah Heim singled, Will Toffey lifted a sacrifice fly to right to make it 4-0.
San Jose immediately got one run back in the bottom of the second as Quinn launched a towering solo home run to straightaway center. The homer was Quinn's sixth of the season.
The Giants then produced their own big inning erupting for five runs in the bottom of the fourth to take a 6-4 lead. The first six batters of the inning reached safely for San Jose with five of the runners coming home to score. Three straight singles from Franco, Quinn and Brusa loaded the bases with none out before Sandro Fabian delivered an RBI single to center. Jacob Heyward then walked on four pitches to force home Quinn with the second run of the inning. Winn was up next and he blasted a double off the fence in deep right center plating Brusa and Fabian for a 5-4 Giants advantage. Van Horn then capped the scoring for the inning with a sacrifice fly to make it 6-4.
Meanwhile, Burke (2 2/3 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 0 SO) had kept the Ports off the board in the third and fourth innings before DJ Myers (1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO) pitched a scoreless top of the fifth. Myers though had to leave the game when he was struck by a Goldstein line drive to begin the top of the sixth. Nolan Riggs entered from the bullpen and managed to get through the inning with no runs coming home before striking out two batters in a perfect top of the seventh to maintain the 6-4 advantage.
Riggs returned to the mound in the top of the eighth with San Jose still ahead by two runs, but would run into trouble. Luis Barrera led off with a triple into the right field corner before Goldstein grounded out to third. Pimentel followed with a game-tying two-run home run to left center - his second round-tripper of the night. Riggs then walked Perez before a Persico single put runners on first and second. Blanco then greeted new pitcher Rodolfo Martinez with a soft grounder to deep shortstop. Van Horn fielded the ball, but his hurried throw to second, in an effort to force out Persico, skipped by the second baseman Miller and bounced into shallow right. Blanco was given a single on the play while Van Horn's error allowed Perez to come home with the go-ahead tally. Persico also took third on the misplay and scored when Heim hit a sacrifice fly to make it 8-6.
The Giants put a runner in scoring position in the bottom of the eighth and ninth innings, but came away empty-handed in both frames as their late comeback bid fell short. Brusa doubled with one out in the eighth, but was stranded when the next two batters were retired. In the bottom of the ninth, Van Horn doubled with one out, however Bryce Johnson flied out to deep center and Miller struck out swinging to end the game.
Ty Damron (1-0) earned the win out of the Ports bullpen after tossing two hitless innings over the sixth and seventh. Angel Duno pitched the bottom of the ninth for his seventh save of the season. Relievers Sam Sheehan, Damron, Pat Krall and Duno combined to hold San Jose scoreless over the final five innings. The Giants managed only two hits after the fourth.
Riggs (2-4) was charged with all four runs (three earned) in the top of the eighth to take the loss.
Notes
* The Giants lost for just the third time this season when leading after seven innings (27-3). They had been tied for the fewest losses in the league when leading after seven.
* Pimentel also homered twice in Tuesday's game. He has four home runs in seven at-bats over the last two games.
* Stockton out-hit San Jose 12-9.
* The Giants' five errors matched a season-high (April 20 vs. Modesto).
* Quinn has hit three home runs over his last seven games.
* San Jose is 2-9 in their last 11 home games.
On Deck
The Giants and Ports conclude their four-game series on Thursday afternoon with first pitch at Municipal Stadium scheduled for 12:30 PM. Raffi Vizcaino (4-4, 4.55 ERA) is slated to make the start on the mound for San Jose while Stockton is expected to counter with Dustin Hurlbutt (2-2, 2.40 ERA). For tickets, call (408) 297-1435 or visit sjgiants.com.
