Sloppy Giants Suffer 13-6 Loss To Nuts
SAN JOSE, CA - The Modesto Nuts jumped out early with eight runs over the first two innings on Thursday night and then broke the game open late with a five-run top of the eighth on their way to a 13-6 victory over the Giants at Municipal Stadium. San Jose
SAN JOSE, CA - The Modesto Nuts jumped out early with eight runs over the first two innings on Thursday night and then broke the game open late with a five-run top of the eighth on their way to a 13-6 victory over the Giants at Municipal Stadium. San Jose pitchers issued 10 walks while the Giants also committed a pair of costly errors that resulted in nine unearned runs in the sloppy defeat. The series-opening setback was the Giants' (8-7) third consecutive loss overall.
Modesto raced out to a 5-0 lead with a five-run top of the first inning against San Jose starter
The Giants immediately got two runs back in the bottom of the first as Johnson and Miller produced back-to-back singles to start the inning before
Modesto though came right back with a three-run top of the second against Vizcaino. After the first two batters of the inning were retired, Walton walked and White singled. A 14-minute delay then ensued when several lights at Municipal Stadium went out and after returning to action, Taylor hammered a double to deep left center scoring both runners to make it 7-2. Nick Zammarelli then singled home Taylor pushing the Nuts lead to 8-2.
San Jose chipped away with single tallies in the third and fourth innings. In the bottom of the third, Quinn led off by reaching on an error and scored when Franco connected for a two-out RBI double to deep left center. An inning later, Van Horn led off with a double, took third on a wild pick-off throw and scored when Johnson grounded out to make it 8-4.
The Giants though left two runners on base in the fifth before stranding the bases loaded in the bottom of the sixth. In the seventh, with the score still 8-4, Fabian led off with a double before Franco singled to put runners on the corners.
Modesto then responded with a five-run outburst in the top of the eighth to take control. Reliever
The Giants' final run came in the bottom of the eighth when Franco knocked out a two-out RBI single to make the score 13-6.
Jeffeson Medina (1-0) was credited with the win out of the Nuts bullpen after holding San Jose scoreless over the fifth and sixth innings. Medina pitched around three hits and two walks during his two innings of work.
Vizcaino (1-1) suffered the loss for the Giants. The right-hander was charged with eight runs (four earned) on six hits over two innings. Vizcaino walked two and struck out three.
Notes
* San Jose's three-game losing streak is a season-high. The three-game skid has followed a season-high four-game winning streak.
* Modesto won comfortably on Thursday despite getting out-hit by a 13-10 margin.
* The Giants' 13 runs allowed and 10 walks were both season-high totals.
* With two hits, Miller raised his season batting average to .333 - tied for seventh in the California League.
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* Franco is 5-for-9 (.556 AVG) with four RBI's over his last two games.
* Thursday was the first of 30 meetings between San Jose and Modesto this season.
On Deck
The Giants and Nuts continue their four-game series on Friday evening with first pitch at Municipal Stadium scheduled for 7:00 PM.