Giants Stun Modesto With Ninth-Inning Comeback

SAN JOSE, CA - The San Jose Giants scored five runs in the bottom of the ninth inning on Friday night for a thrilling come-from-behind 9-8 victory over the Modesto Nuts at Municipal Stadium. Bryce Johnson was hit by a pitch with two outs and the bases loaded to force home the game-winning run and propel the Giants (9-7) to their third walk-off victory of the season.
Frandy De La Rosa, Wander Franco and Brandon Van Horn produced run-scoring singles in the bottom of the ninth before the hit by pitch of Johnson won it for San Jose. Heath Quinn (3-for-5, 2 2B, RBI) and Johneshwy Fargas (3-for-5, 2B) each collected three hits in the contest to lead the Giants offensively. The victory snapped San Jose's three-game losing streak.
Modesto took an 8-4 lead into the bottom of the ninth before the Giants staged their dramatic rally. Johnson led off the inning by grounding out before Nuts reliever Michael Koval plunked Jalen Miller to put a runner on first base. A wild pitch then advanced Miller to second before De La Rosa knocked out an RBI single to cut the deficit to 8-5. Quinn was up next and he grounded a single through the hole on the left side before Gio Brusa worked a walk to load the bases. Franco followed with a sharp single up the middle plating both De La Rosa and Quinn to bring San Jose within 8-7. Van Horn then singled into left to score Brusa tying the game 8-8. Matt Winn followed by drawing a walk - the seventh consecutive Giants batter to reach base safely in the inning. With the bases loaded and still just one out, Fargas was up next, however he flied out to shallow right. Johnson, who had led off the inning, was then hit by a pitch on an 0-1 offering from Koval to force home Franco with the game-winning run.
San Jose sent 10 batters to plate in the bottom of the ninth and scored five runs on four hits - all singles. The Giants also took advantage of two walks and two hit batters.
Patrick Ruotolo (1-0) was credited with the win out of the bullpen after pitching the top of the ninth for San Jose. Ruotolo allowed one unearned run on two hits during his lone inning.
Koval (0-1), who entered the game to begin the bottom of the eighth, suffered the loss for the Nuts. He allowed all five runs in the ninth inning.
Modesto led for the majority of the game as the Nuts scored twice in the top of the first against Giants starter Melvin Adon to jump in front. Bryson Brigman walked to start the game before Donnie Walton doubled down the right field line to put runners at second and third. Adon recovered to strikeout the next two hitters, but Nick Zammarelli then lined a two-out single into center scoring both Brigman and Walton for a 2-0 Modesto advantage.
San Jose immediately answered though with a pair of their own two-out runs in the bottom of the first. After the first two batters of the inning were set down, De La Rosa singled and immediately scored when the next batter, Quinn, blasted a double off the left center field fence. Brusa then lofted a fly ball double down the left field line to plate Quinn bringing the Giants even at 2-2.
San Jose briefly enjoyed the lead after scoring a single run in the bottom of the second. With two outs, Fargas singled before stealing second. Johnson then doubled to deep left center scoring Fargas for a 3-2 Giants lead.
The Nuts, however, came right back with a three-run top of the third. A leadoff single and a one-out walk put two runners on base for Modesto. Following a groundout that advanced the runners to second and third, a passed ball charged to the catcher Winn allowed the tying run to score. Moments later, Zammarelli connected for a two-run home run to left off of Adon putting Modesto in the lead at 5-3.
Adon was charged with five runs (all earned) on seven hits over four innings during his start. The right-hander walked two and struck out three.
The Nuts then added to their lead with a two-run top of the fifth taking advantage of four San Jose errors in the inning. With reliever Dylan Rheault on the mound, Evan White led off by reaching on a two-base throwing error committed by Franco at third. Rheault then uncorked a wild pick-off throw for another error allowing White to advance to third. Rheault settled down to strikeout Logan Taylor before Zammarelli flied out to shallow left. However on the fly ball, the left fielder Quinn threw wildly back towards the infield allowing White, who was initially holding at third, to race home with a run. The rally then restarted with back-to-back singles from Joe Rizzo and Gareth Morgan before a walk to Tyler Baker loaded the bases. Kevin Santa was up next and he reached safely on a fielding error committed by Franco - the fourth error of the inning - as Rizzo scored to make it 7-3. Rheault did come back to strikeout the next hitter, Brigman, to strand the bases loaded.
In the bottom of the sixth, Winn belted a solo home run to deep left center - his first round-tripper of the season - to trim the Modesto lead to 7-4.
The game remained at a three-run margin until the Nuts scored once off of Ruotolo in the top of the ninth on a bases loaded double play to make it 8-4.
Koval pitched around a leadoff walk in a scoreless bottom of the eighth for Modesto before the Giants rallied an inning later.
Notes
* San Jose's last three home wins have been walk-off victories: April 14 vs. Stockton (Miller 11th inning home run), April 15 vs. Stockton (Brusa 10th inning home run) and Friday (Johnson ninth-inning HBP). The Giants trailed entering the bottom of the ninth inning in all three walk-off wins.
* San Jose out-hit Modesto 15-11.
* The Giants hit a season-high six doubles.
* Connor Overton, who joined San Jose earlier Friday from Extended Spring Training, worked three hitless innings of relief from the sixth through the eighth. Overton walked one and struck out three.
* The Giants' five errors were a season-high.
* San Jose's five-run bottom of the ninth matched their highest scoring inning of the year (April 11 at Lancaster).
* Johnson (2-for-5, 2 2B, 2 RBI), De La Rosa (2-for-5, RBI) and Franco (2-for-4, 2 RBI) also had multi-hit games for the Giants.
On Deck
The Giants and Nuts continue their series on Saturday evening with first pitch at Municipal Stadium scheduled for 5:00 PM. Logan Webb (1-1, 1.29 ERA) is slated to start on the mound for San Jose while Modesto is expected to counter with Ljay Newsome (0-2, 7.88 ERA). The San Jose Giants are honored to join with Operation: Care and Comfort in presenting Salute to the Military Night on Saturday. The evening will feature the Military Trading Card Set honorees ceremony, military-themed jerseys and a special gate giveaway to the first 1,000 fans in attendance. For tickets, call (408) 297-1435 or visit sjgiants.com.