RANCHO CUCAMONGA, CA -Brandon Van Horn hit a tiebreaking RBI double in the top of the eighth inning before Frank Rubio notched a six-out save in his California League debut to lead the Giants to a 6-5 win over the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes on Thursday evening at LoanMart Field. In
RANCHO CUCAMONGA, CA -Brandon Van Horn hit a tiebreaking RBI double in the top of the eighth inning before Frank Rubio notched a six-out save in his California League debut to lead the Giants to a 6-5 win over the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes on Thursday evening at LoanMart Field. In their second half opener, San Jose trailed by a run late before scoring twice in the eighth to take the lead for good. With the victory, the Giants (35-36 overall, 1-0 second half) have now won back-to-back games for the first time since May 31-June 1.
Van Horn (2-for-4, 2 2B, 2 RBI) also produced an RBI double earlier in the contest while Jalen Miller (1-for-5, HR, 3 RBI) blasted a three-run home run to lead the way offensively. Heath Quinn (1-for-5) and Wander Franco (2-for-5, 2B) also extended their hitting streaks to 14 and 13 games respectively.
Rubio, who joined San Jose earlier Thursday from Augusta (A), earned the save with two scoreless innings to finish the game. The right-hander stranded the potential tying and winning runs on base in the bottom of the ninth to seal the win.
The back-and-forth affair saw the Quakes jump out initially with a single run in the bottom of the third against Giants starter Melvin Adon. With one out, Saige Jenco tripled into the left center field gap before Rylan Bannon delivered an RBI single to put Rancho Cucamonga in front.
San Jose though erupted for four runs in the top of the fifth, highlighted by Miller's round-tripper, to take the lead. Matt Winn led off with a single to left and took second on the play when the left fielder Jenco bobbled the ball for an error. Van Horn was up next and he hammered a double off the fence in deep center to bring home Winn with the tying run. Bryce Johnson followed by striking out, but reached first safely on a wild pitch. Miller then crushed a three-run home run to left to give the Giants a 4-1 lead. The home run was Miller's eighth of the season.
Carlos Sano (1 1/3 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 0 BB, 3 SO) relieved Adon to begin the bottom of the fifth and immediately ran into trouble as four straight one-out singles from Rancho Cucamonga produced a pair of runs. Singles from Steve Berman, Zach McKinstry and Jenco loaded the bases before Bannon lined a two-run single into center to trim the San Jose lead to 4-3.
The Quakes then went back in front with back-to-back home runs off of Sano in the bottom of the sixth. With one out, Cody Thomas launched a towering solo homer to right to tie the game. Jared Walker was up next and he belted a home run down the right field line for a 5-4 Rancho Cucamonga advantage.
The Giants, however, answered with two runs in the top of the eighth to take the lead for good. A walk to Gio Brusa started the inning for San Jose. Sandro Fabian then dropped down a bunt that was fielded by pitcher Ryan Moseley in front of the mound. Moseley though, in an effort to force out Brusa at second, threw the ball wildly into center field. The error allowed Brusa to advance to third while Fabian was safe at first. Then with Jacob Heyward at the plate, Moseley uncorked a wild pitch allowing Brusa to score tying the game 5-5. Heyward eventually flied out to left before a walk to Winn. Van Horn then stepped to the plate and laced a double down the left field line to score Fabian from second giving the Giants a 6-5 lead.
Rubio (2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO) entered from the bullpen to begin the bottom of the eighth and allowed a one-out single to McKinstry, but quickly got out of the inning when the next batter, Jenco, grounded into a 4-6-3 double play.
With the score still at 6-5, the Quakes threatened in the bottom of the ninth putting runners on first and second with none out, but Rubio escaped. Bannon led off with a grounder to shortstop that was misplayed by Van Horn for an error. Cristian Santana then singled sharply up the middle to move the potential tying run to second. Rubio though came back to retire Jeren Kendall on a fly out to left before registering a swinging strikeout of Logan Landon for the second out. Rubio then induced Thomas to fly out to left to end the game.
Nolan Riggs (2-3) picked-up the win after tossing 1 2/3 scoreless innings of relief. Riggs, who entered with one out in the bottom of the sixth, gave up one hit, walked two and struck out one.
Moseley (2-2) suffered the loss after yielding the two runs (one earned) in the top of the eighth.
Notes
* Thursday was the first meeting of the season between San Jose and Rancho Cucamonga. The Giants will play 18 games against the Quakes in the second half.
* Rubio was 10-for-11 in save chances with Augusta (1.55 ERA) before his promotion to San Jose.
* Miller is second on the Giants with eight home runs (Brusa 11 HR).
* Rancho Cucamonga out-hit San Jose 14-8.
* Franco hit his league-leading 23rd double of the season.
* Quinn extended his hitting streak with a ninth-inning infield single.
* Adon pitched four innings and allowed one run. He surrendered five hits, walked one and struck out four during his 73-pitch outing.
* The Giants won for a league-high fifth time this season when trailing after seven innings.
* San Jose has won back-to-back road games for the first time since May 19-20.
* In other roster moves, pitchers Dylan Rheault and Connor Overton were transferred to Richmond (AA).
On Deck
The Giants and Quakes continue their four-game series on Friday evening with first pitch at LoanMart Field scheduled for 7:05 PM. Mac Marshall (0-0, 1.25 ERA) is slated to start on the mound for San Jose while Rancho Cucamonga is expected to counter with Dustin May (2-3, 3.83 ERA). The game can be heard live on sjgiants.com with coverage beginning at 6:45 PM.
