Late Offense Sparks 13-7 Giants Victory

MODESTO, CA - The Giants scored seven runs in the final three innings on Thursday night in a 13-7 victory over the Modesto Nuts at John Thurman Field. San Jose erased a 7-6 deficit with two runs in the top of the seventh before scoring twice in the eighth and then three more in the ninth to take the rubber game of the series. The win secured a 4-2 road trip and moved the Giants (20-14) into a first-place tie atop the first half North Division standings.
Gio Brusa (3-for-5, 2B, HR, 4 RBI) had three hits, including his fifth home run of the season, to lead the San Jose offensive attack. Wander Franco (3-for-6, 2 2B, 2 RBI) added his league-leading 13th and 14th doubles of the season as part of a three-hit night for the Giants.
Trailing by a 7-6 margin, the key seventh-inning rally began for San Jose with a one-out walk to Jacob Heyward. After Heyward stole second, Sandro Fabian laced a game-tying RBI double into the left field corner. John Polonius then singled sharply into right advancing Fabian to third before Connor Sabanosh struck out. Johneshwy Fargas was up next and his grounder to third was misplayed by Joe Rizzo for an error allowing Fabian to score for an 8-7 Giants lead.
After Dylan Rheault breezed through a seven-pitch 1-2-3 bottom of the seventh, San Jose kept the pressure on with two runs in the eighth. Franco led off with a single to left before Brusa launched a two-run home run down the left field line to make it 10-7.
The Nuts threatened in the bottom of the eighth as Bryson Brigman singled to leadoff before a one-out walk to Evan White brought the potential tying run to the plate, but Rheault induced Logan Taylor to ground into an inning-ending 5-4-3 double play.
The Giants then pushed across three more runs in the top of the ninth to stretch their lead to 13-7. After the first two batters of the inning were retired, Bryce Johnson walked and Jalen Miller singled. Franco then stepped to the plate and ripped a double to the fence in deep right center scoring both runners. Brusa then delivered his own double into the right center field gap as Franco came home for a six-run lead.
Rheault worked around a two-out walk in the bottom of the ninth to seal the San Jose victory.
Connor Overton (1-0) was credited with the win after tossing two innings of relief in the fifth and sixth with one run and four hits allowed. Overton struck out two. Rheault picked-up his second save of the year after holding the Nuts scoreless over the final three innings. Rheault surrendered just one hit, walked two and struck out two.
Austin Hutchison (0-1) was saddled with the loss out of the Modesto bullpen after allowing both runs in the top of the seventh.
The back-and-forth contest began with the Giants scoring once in the top of the first. Franco doubled with two outs and scored when Brusa picked-up the first of his four RBI's on the night with a line drive single to left.
The Nuts answered with a run of their own in the bottom of the first against San Jose starter Conner Menez. Brigman led off with a double, advanced to third on a passed ball and scored when White hit a sacrifice fly to center.
The Giants then came right back with a three-run top of the second to take a 4-1 lead. Fabian singled with one out before Polonius reached on an error. Sabanosh then singled down the right field line plating Fabian with the go-ahead tally. After Fargas was hit by a pitch to load the bases, Johnson singled up the middle scoring Polonius and Sabanosh for a three-run advantage.
The lead, however, would be short-lived as Modesto responded with six straight two-out hits against Menez in the bottom of the second to produce four runs. After Menez set down the first two batters of the frame, Tyler Baker singled. Gareth Morgan then belted a two-run home run to right center - his team-leading ninth round-tripper of the season - to bring the Nuts within 4-3. Kevin Santa followed with a single, stole second and scored the tying run on a Brigman single. After Rizzo singled, White delivered the sixth straight hit of the inning - an RBI double down the left field line - giving Modesto their first lead of the night at 5-4.
The Nuts then extended their advantage to 6-4 in the bottom of the fourth on a White two-out RBI single.
Menez allowed a season-high six runs (five earned) on nine hits over four innings. The left-hander walked two and struck out seven during his 83-pitch outing.
Down 6-4, San Jose scratched across two runs without the benefit of a hit in the top of the fifth to again tie the game. A leadoff walk to Miller and back-to-back one-out walks to Brusa and Heyward loaded the bases. Fabian then brought home one run with an RBI groundout before a wild pitch allowed the second run of the inning to score to make it 6-6.
Overton relieved Menez to begin the bottom of the fifth and immediately allowed one run as Modesto reclaimed the lead. Consecutive singles from Anthony Jimenez and Baker started the inning before a Santa one-out RBI single pushed the Nuts ahead by a 7-6 margin. Overton though stranded two runners in scoring position to prevent further damage in the inning and then tossed a scoreless bottom of the sixth before the Giants took the lead for good with their seventh-inning rally.
Notes
* The Giants won two out of three games against Lancaster and Modesto during the road trip. San Jose came-from-behind in all four of their victories.
* Both the Giants and Nuts finished with 14 hits on Thursday.
* Franco is batting .400 (20-for-50) in his last 11 games with 10 doubles and 13 RBI's.
* Fabian (2-for-5, 2B, 2 RBI) and Fargas (2-for-4, SB) also finished with multi-hit games.
* San Jose improved to 6-4 against Modesto this season.
* The Giants were 7-for-17 (.412 AVG) with runners in scoring position on Thursday.
On Deck
The Giants return to Municipal Stadium on Friday night to open a four-game series against the Lancaster JetHawks. First pitch is scheduled for 7:00 PM. Raffi Vizcaino (2-2, 4.97 ERA) is slated to start on the mound for San Jose while Lancaster is expected to counter with Rico Garcia (4-2, 3.56 ERA). A spectacular fireworks show will follow the game as part of the Giants' Friday Night Fireworks Series this season. For tickets, call (408) 297-1435 or visit sjgiants.com.