Giants Suffer Third Straight Loss To Sixers, 5-2

SAN JOSE, CA - Inland Empire scored three runs in the top of the second inning to take an early lead and 66ers starting pitcher Jaime Barria carried a shutout into the eighth in a 5-2 victory over the San Jose Giants on Sunday afternoon at Municipal Stadium. The loss was San Jose's (15-22) third straight to open the series and 12th in their last 15 home games overall.
Bryan Reynolds (2-for-4, 2B, 3B) doubled and tripled to lead the Giants offensively in defeat.
Barria (2-3) struck out nine batters and allowed just one run over seven-plus innings of work to pick-up the win for Inland Empire. The right-hander, who at one point retired 14 consecutive San Jose hitters, surrendered six hits and did not issue a walk during his masterful start.
The Sixers jumped out early against Giants starter Mark Reyes scoring three times in the second inning to take a 3-0 lead. Consecutive walks to Taylor Ward and Connor Justus started the frame and both runners would score when the next batter, Jose Rojas, blasted a triple off the fence in deep right center. Jordan Serena then stepped to the plate and grounded a single up the middle to plate Rojas for a 3-0 Inland Empire advantage.
Reyes bounced back with scoreless third and fourth innings for San Jose before running into more trouble in the fifth. With one out, Jared Foster reached safely on a throwing error committed by Jonah Arenado at third. Foster then took second on a passed ball before advancing to third on an errant pick-off throw from Reyes. Matt Thaiss then laced a double to deep right scoring Foster easily to make it 4-0. A walk to Michael Barash followed ending Reyes' day before reliever David Owen entered and recorded back-to-back groundouts to retire the side.
The 66ers though kept the pressure on with another run in the sixth. Rojas led off with a double to deep right center before Jake Yacinich's one-out single put runners on the corners. Troy Montgomery was up next and he lined a single into left plating Rojas for a 5-0 Inland Empire cushion.
Meanwhile, Barria surrendered a first-inning triple to deep center off the bat of Reynolds and then did not allow another baserunner until the sixth. Barria struck out one batter in perfect second and fourth innings while he registered two punchouts each in 1-2-3 third and fifth frames. Finally in the bottom of the sixth, Johneshwy Fargas blooped a double into shallow center with one out, but was tagged out at third on the play attempting to advance. In the seventh, Daniel Carbonell led off with a bunt single, but was promptly erased when Reynolds grounded into a double play.
With the score still 5-0, Barria returned to the mound for the bottom of the eighth and allowed three straight singles as the Giants broke up the shutout. Dillon Dobson led off with a single before Arenado singled to put runners on first and second. Jose Vizcaino Jr. was up next and he lined a single into left plating Dobson to trim the Inland Empire lead to 5-1. Reliever Jeremy Rhoades though was summoned from the bullpen and he quickly got out of the inning by inducing Matt Winn to ground into a double play before Fargas popped out.
San Jose pushed across another run in the bottom of the ninth, but would see their late rally fall short. With one out, Carbonell was hit by a pitch before Reynolds doubled down the right field line putting runners at second and third. An Aramis Garcia RBI groundout followed to bring the Giants to within 5-2, but with the potential tying run in the on-deck circle, Rhoades retired Dobson on a deep fly out to right ending the game.
Rhoades, who collected the final six outs of the contest for the 66ers, earned his fourth save of the year.
Reyes (1-5) was saddled with the loss after yielding four runs (three earned) in 4 1/3 innings. The left-hander allowed four hits, walked five and struck out three during his 83-pitch outing. Reyes also committed two throwing errors.
Notes
* The Giants fell to 1-5 on their current homestand.
* Owen pitched 4 1/3 innings of long relief for San Jose and allowed just one run (5 H, 2 BB, 4 SO). It matched the longest appearance by a Giants reliever this season (Owen, April 10 at Lancaster).
* Reynolds broke out of an 0-for-18 skid with his first-inning triple.
* Inland Empire out-hit San Jose 9-7. The 66ers were 5-for-12 (.417 AVG) with runners in scoring position.
* Reyes leads the California League with 31 walks (in 34 1/3 innings).
* Inland Empire has won a season-high five games in a row.
* Barria entered the game tenth in the California League in ERA (2.72) and third in opponents batting average (.207).
* The Giants' three-game skid matches their longest losing streak of the season (fourth time).
On Deck
The Giants and 66ers wrap-up their four-game series on Monday afternoon with first pitch at Municipal Stadium scheduled for 12:30 PM. Jake McCasland (0-3, 5.70 ERA) is slated to start on the mound for San Jose while Inland Empire is expected to counter with Jose Rodriguez (3-2, 4.35 ERA). For tickets, call (408) 297-1435 or visit sjgiants.com.

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