Giants Solve Quakes In Series Finale, 4-2

RANCHO CUCAMONGA, CA - The San Jose Giants salvaged the final game of their three-game series in Rancho Cucamonga with a 4-2 victory over the Quakes on Friday night at LoanMart Field. Domenic Mazza and relievers Mac Marshall, Sandro Cabrera and Nolan Riggs combined to hold Rancho Cucamonga scoreless after the second inning as the Giants (45-54 overall, 11-18 second half) snapped a 10-game losing streak to the South Division-leading Quakes.
Dillon Dobson (2-for-4, 2B) had a pair of hits while Jalen Miller (1-for-5, 2 RBI) drove home two runs to lead San Jose offensively. Johneshwy Fargas (0-for-4, 2 SB) also stole two bases and scored twice from the leadoff spot in the lineup.
Mazza (3-1) earned the win after limiting Rancho Cucamonga to two runs (both earned) over five innings. The left-hander surrendered five hits, walked one and struck out a season-high six. Marshall (1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO), Cabrera (1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 SO) and Riggs (2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO) then combined to throw four scoreless innings out of the bullpen. Riggs, who recorded the final six outs of the contest, notched his third save of the year.
The Giants jumped out early with single runs in each of the first two innings to take a 2-0 lead. Fargas was hit by a pitch to start the game before stealing second and taking third on a balk. Fargas then scored when Miller grounded out to second.
An inning later, Dobson led off with a ringing double to deep left center, advanced to third on a Sandro Fabian fly out to right and scored on Jacob Heyward's groundout to second.
The Quakes though would tie the game with two runs off of Mazza in the bottom of the second. Logan Landon drew a leadoff walk before Connor Wong singled to left. Zach McKinstry then delivered an RBI single into right as Landon scored and Wong moved all the way to third. Two batters later, Saige Jenco hit a sacrifice fly to left to bring Rancho Cucamonga even.
San Jose, however, came right back with a run in the top of the third to reclaim the lead. With one out, Fargas reached on an error and stole his second base of the night. Then with two outs, Wander Franco delivered a clutch hit when he singled sharply into left to bring home Fargas for a 3-2 Giants advantage.
Mazza would keep Rancho Cucamonga off the board over the next three innings to finish his night. The San Jose starter had retired seven straight Quakes batters until an Omar Estevez double with two outs in the bottom of the fifth. Mazza though came right back to strikeout the next hitter, Cody Thomas, to retire the side.
Marshall relieved Mazza to begin the bottom of the sixth and worked around a Landon one-out double to keep the Giants ahead by a run. In the seventh with Cabrera on the mound, the Quakes advanced the potential tying run to third base, but came away empty-handed. Hamlet Marte led off the frame with a single before moving to second on a one-out wild pitch. Gavin Lux then drew a walk to put the possible go-ahead run on base. Estevez was up next and he launched a high fly ball to deep left center that was caught by a running Fargas on the warning track. Marte tagged up and advanced to third on the fly out, but was stranded there when Cabrera struck out Thomas to end the inning.
With the score still at 3-2, Riggs entered from the bullpen to begin the bottom of the eighth. With two outs, Wong singled, but Riggs quickly retired the next hitter, McKinstry, on a groundout to retire the side.
San Jose then pushed across a key insurance run in the top of the ninth to stretch their lead to 4-2. With one out, Brandon Van Horn worked a walk before stealing second. Two batters later, Miller grounded a two-out single into right plating Van Horn to extend the Giants lead to two runs.
Riggs then finished the game with a flourish as he struck out the side in a 1-2-3 bottom of the ninth.
Rancho Cucamonga starter Max Gamboa (0-1) suffered the loss in his California League debut after yielding three runs (two earned) on four hits over five innings of work.
Notes
* The Giants improved to 2-10 against Rancho Cucamonga this season. San Jose won the first meeting between the teams on June 21 before dropping the next 10 contests.
* Fargas stole his 29th and 30th bases of the season. He ranks second in the California League and tops in the San Francisco minor league system in steals.
* Mazza is 2-0 with a 1.62 ERA (3 ER/16.2 IP) in three starts this season.
* The Quakes out-hit the Giants 8-6.
* San Jose won despite going just 2-for-18 with runners in scoring position (Rancho Cucamonga 1-for-8).
* Miller collected his team-leading 52nd and 53rd RBI's of the year.
* Marshall was making his first relief appearance of the season after making 10 starts. Marshall was activated from the disabled list before the game on Friday. He was making his first appearance since June 27. In a corresponding roster move, pitcher Ryan Walker was transferred to Salem-Keizer (Short-Season).
* Franco (1-for-5, RBI) extended his hitting streak to eight games.
* The Quakes lost for just the fourth time in their last 24 games.
On Deck
The Giants continue their Southern California road trip on Saturday evening with the opener of a three-game series against the Lake Elsinore Storm. First pitch at The Diamond is scheduled for 6:00 PM. Joey Marciano (0-1, 13.50 ERA) is slated to start on the mound for San Jose while Lake Elsinore is expected to counter with Michel Baez (2-7, 3.28 ERA). The game can be heard live on sjgiants.com with coverage beginning at 5:40 PM.