Two-Out Hits Fuel 8-6 Win over Blaze
Published on August 1, 2012 under California League (CalL1)
San Jose Giants News Release
SAN JOSE - The San Jose Giants scored all eight of their runs with two outs in an 8-6 victory over the Bakersfield Blaze on Tuesday evening at Municipal Stadium. Adam Duvall and Ricky Oropesa each homered while San Jose finished with 13 hits to claim the opener of the three- game series. The win improved the Giants' overall record to 55-53.
Duvall (2-for-5, HR, RBI) connected for his team-leading 20th home run of the season and Oropesa (1-for-5, HR, 3 RBI) added his 12th in the victory. Carter Jurica (3-for-5) contributed three singles while Jarrett Parker (2-for-4, 2B, 3 RBI), Joe Panik (2-for-5, SB) and Alex Burg (2-for-4, 2B, RBI) also produced multi-hit games at the plate.
San Jose trailed by a 4-1 score until pushing across two runs in the bottom of the third inning to trim the deficit. Three consecutive one- out singles from Jurica, Panik and Duvall loaded the bases with one out and after Oropesa struck out, Burg drew a walk to force home a run. Parker followed with an infield single to third base as Panik scored to make it 4-3, however Andrew Susac then struck out looking to end the inning.
The Giants took their first lead of the game with a two-run bottom of the fifth. Panik started the rally by reaching on an error before Burg's two-out single put runners on the corners. Parker then stepped to the plate and ripped a double into the right field corner to bring home both Panik and Burg for a 5-4 San Jose advantage.
The Giants kept the pressure on in the bottom of the sixth as Bobby Haney led off with a single before Jurica singled to put two runners on base. Then with two outs, Oropesa launched a three-run homer to deep right extending the San Jose lead to 8-4.
Bakersfield's rallied for a pair of runs in the top of the seventh to cut the Giants lead in half, but would leave the bases loaded in the inning. Phil McCormick (2/3 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 SO) issued a one-out walk to Dominic D'Anna before new pitcher Drew Bowlin (1/3 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 0 SO) walked Travis Mattair. After Steve Selsky flied out, Chris Berset delivered an RBI single to make it 8-5. Juan Duran followed with an RBI single of his own to bring the Blaze to within 8-6 and then Bowlin walked Devin Lohman to load the bases. Kurtis Muller was up next, but Shawn Sanford (1 1/3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO) entered the game and induced the hitter to bounce into a fielder's choice to shortstop ending the inning.
Sanford then worked around a two-out error to keep Bakersfield off the scoreboard in the eighth before Jose Valdez (1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO) struck out two in a 1-2-3 top of the ninth inning to seal the Giants victory.
Stephen Harrold (2-4) was credited with the win out of the San Jose bullpen after tossing three innings with one run and one hit allowed. Harrold, who entered the game to begin the top of the third and retired the last seven batters that he faced, struck out four and walked none. Valdez earned his sixth save of the year.
Blaze starter Josh Smith (7-7) was saddled with the loss after yielding five runs (three earned) on eight hits over 4 2/3 innings. He walked two and struck out seven.
Bakersfield jumped out to a 2-0 lead against Giants starter Kelvin Marte with a pair of runs in the top of the first. Theo Bowe started the game by getting hit by a pitch before consecutive one-out singles from D'Anna and Mattair produced a run. Then after Selsky singled to load the bases, Berset grounded into a fielder's choice to plate the second run of the inning.
Duvall made it 2-1 in the bottom of the first when he belted a two- out, solo homer to deep left. However, the Blaze answered with single runs over the next two frames. In the top of the second, Lohman led off with a double, advanced to third on Bowe's sacrifice bunt and scored when Niko Vasquez reached on an error. Lohman then made it 4-1 with a solo homer off of Harrold in the top of the third.
Marte surrendered three runs (all earned) on four hits over two innings in his first start of the season with San Jose. He walked two and struck out two.
California League Stories from August 1, 2012
- Blaze Suffer Wednesday Walkoff Defeat to Giants, 7-6 - Bakersfield Blaze
- Tremor/Matt Kemp Poster Giveaway Tonight - Rancho Cucamonga Quakes
- High Desert Hits, Storm Fall 12-3 - Lake Elsinore Storm
- JetHawks News: Lancaster Ties It in Ninth, Falls in 10th - Lancaster JetHawks
- Quakes Trip up Late on Tuesday - Rancho Cucamonga Quakes
- Two-Out Hits Fuel 8-6 Win over Blaze - San Jose Giants
- Giants Outlast Blaze in Wild One, 8-6 - Bakersfield Blaze
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
