Big Inning Lifts Giants To Victory In First Half Finale
Published on June 21, 2009 under California League (CalL1)
San Jose Giants News Release
The San Jose Giants scored six runs in the top of the eighth inning en route to an 8-2 victory over the Stockton Ports on Sunday afternoon at Banner Island Ballpark in the final game of the first half. San Jose entered the inning locked in a 2-2 tie before sending 12 hitters to the plate during the decisive rally. With the victory, the Giants take three out of four games in the series against Stockton and finish the first half with a 42-28 record - tops in the North Division.
Shane Jordan (2-for-4, RBI, SB) was the lone San Jose player to finish with a multi-hit game while Roger Kieschnick (1-for-5, 2 RBI) delivered a key two-run single in the eighth inning.
With the score tied, Tyler Graham began the top of the eighth with a line drive single into center field against Ports reliever Derrick Gordon. Nick Noonan followed by getting hit by a pitch before Conor Gillaspie drew a walk to load the bases. Then with Kieschnick at the plate, Gordon uncorked a wild pitch to bring home Graham with the go-ahead run as Noonan advanced to third and Gillaspie took second. Later in the at-bat, Kieschnick lined a single into right field to score both runners for a 5-2 Giants lead.
Leonardo Espinal was then brought into pitch for Stockton, but he promptly allowed a double to David Maroul down the left field line while Kieschnick scored on the play when left fielder Shane Keough mishandled the ball in the corner for an error. Three batters later, Jordan laced an RBI single into left field to plate the fifth run of the inning before Graham produced an RBI ground out capping the Giants scoring for the afternoon.
David Mixon (1-1) was credited with his first victory of the season after tossing two scoreless innings of relief. Mixon, who entered the game in the bottom of the seventh with the game tied, allowed two hits with two walks and one strikeout. The right-hander worked through a one-out single in the bottom of the seventh to keep the score deadlocked before stranding the bases loaded in the eighth.
Paul Oseguera started on the mound for San Jose and fired six effective innings with two runs (both earned) on four hits allowed. Oseguera walked one and struck out four.
Stockton initially took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third inning on a two-out wild pitch thrown by Oseguera. The Giants though answered in the top of the fifth when Aaron Lowenstein led off with an infield single before scoring on a one-out wild pitch from Ports starter Mathieu LeBlanc Poirier. Later in the inning, Jordan singled and was at third after a stolen base before coming home on Noonan's sacrifice fly to left.
Stockton pulled even in the bottom of the sixth when Frank Martinez led off with a single, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt and scored on Michael Richard's sharp single up the middle.
Notes: The Giants went 14-4 in their last 18 games of the first half ... San Jose finished the half two games ahead of Modesto (40-30) and three games in front of Visalia (39-31) ... Oseguera faced the minimum three hitters in four out of his six innings ... Regulars Buster Posey, Thomas Neal, Angel Villalona and Brian Bocock were all given the day off ... Gordon (1-4) suffered the loss after surrendering four runs (all earned) on two hits over 2 2/3 innings ... Gordon had retired the first eight batters that he faced until Graham's leadoff single in the eighth ... Kieschnick has 13 RBI's in his last seven games ... The Giants out-hit the Ports by an 8-7 margin ... Craig Whitaker (1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 SO) pitched a scoreless bottom of the ninth to seal the San Jose victory.
On Deck: The Giants will enjoy three days off for the All-Star break before returning to action on Thursday night with the opener of a three-game series against the Stockton Ports at Municipal Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 7:00 PM. The game will be televised live on Comcast Hometown Network (Channel 104 throughout most Northern California regions). It's a KRTY Country Thursday at the ballpark and tickets can be purchased by calling (408)297-1435 or by visiting www.sjgiants.com.
San Jose Giants Buster Posey, Thomas Neal and Roger Kieschnick will first participate in the annual California-Carolina League All-Star Game this Tuesday night at The Diamond in Lake Elsinore. Posey (catcher) and Neal (left field) will start in the exhibition contest while Kieschnick will play in the game as a reserve.
California League Stories from June 21, 2009
- Big Inning Lifts Giants To Victory In First Half Finale - San Jose Giants
- Quakes Split Four-Game Set With Storm - Rancho Cucamonga Quakes
- Ports Drop Final Game of First Half, 8-2 - Stockton Ports
- Milton, Johnson Tag-Team To Shut Out Mavs - Inland Empire 66ers
- Giants Stage Ninth-Inning Rally To Win First Half Title - San Jose Giants
- Quakes Fall to Storm 10-1 - Rancho Cucamonga Quakes
- Defensive Miscues Prove Costly, Ports lose 6-5 - Stockton Ports
- Nuts Bullpen Holds Back JetHawks in 7-3 Modesto Win - Lancaster JetHawks
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