Blaze Score Seven in 10th, Beat Giants 11-7
April 12, 2014 - California League (CalL1)
Bakersfield Blaze News Release
In a game that may stand up as the craziest of 2014, the Bakersfield Blaze erased a three-run deficit, ultimately tying the San Jose Giants in the 9th before scoring seven runs in extras, and holding on for the 11-7 win.
The Blaze played a sloppy first five innings, and the Giants took advantage, building a 4-1 lead.
Wandy Peralta got the start for Bakersfield, and after the Blaze scored a run in the top of the 1st on a Marquez Smith double, the Giants came right back and tied it in the bottom of the frame.
After a scoreless 2nd, the Giants got an unearned run in the 3rd. The first two batters of the inning reached on errors to the middle infield, but a double-play grounder later in the frame limited the damage.
Meanwhile, Giants started Pat Young settled into an impressive groove, at one point retiring 12 consecutive Blaze batters between the 2nd and 5th innings.
In the 5th, the Giants built their largest lead of the night. A leadoff single was followed by a misplayed chopper that went as a hit. The Blaze nearly escaped the mess again, but with two outs the Giants' Elliott Blair singled up the middle to plate both, and San Jose lead by three.
From there, however, the Blaze would score 10 unanswered runs into the bottom of the 10th.
Two runs came across in the 6th off Young when Zach Vincej walked, Ryan Wright singled, and, later in the frame, an RBI-groundout and Smith base hit brought them home.
After Jeremy Affeldt worked two scoreless innings on a MLB rehab assignment, the Blaze finally caught the Giants in the 9th.
Giants closer Tyler Mizenko got the first out, but John Tolisano took a fastball over the leftfield fence to knot the game at four.
Then, in extras, the Blaze went ballistic, sending 12 batters to the plate in the 10th, and scoring 7 times on 4 hits and 5 walks off Ryan Bradley (L, 0-1). The key plays in the inning came early, as Wright opened the frame with a triple off the wall in center, and Winker immediately brought him home on a base hit.
Kyle McMyne, who had pitched a perfect 9th, may have let the big lead cause his focus to wane, as the Giants got him for three runs in the 10th, but the Blaze big lead held up, and the Bako boys moved to 8-2 on the season with an 11-7 final.
The Blaze bullpen excelled throughout the game, as Brooks Pinckard, Sean Lucas, and McMyne did not allow a run between the 5th and 10th innings.
The win pushes the Blaze to 8 wins, the first team in the Cal League to hit that mark, and it marks the second time in a week the Blaze have erased a deficit of three runs or more to win a game in extra innings (trailed 9-5 on Tuesday, beat the Ports 10-9).
The series with San Jose wraps up Sunday at 1pm, with James Allen opposing Joe Biagini, and the Blaze looking for a series win. From there, the road trip continues through Stockton for three more.
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California League Stories from April 12, 2014
- Smith Tosses Four Hitless in Win over Storm - Lancaster JetHawks
- Seven-Run 10th Inning Sinks Giants in Loss to Blaze - San Jose Giants
- Blaze Score Seven in 10th, Beat Giants 11-7 - Bakersfield Blaze
- Quiet Bats Lead to 3-1 Loss - Modesto Nuts
- Early Surge Takes Ports to 9-4 Win - Stockton Ports
- Giants Suffer 5-2 Loss to Bakersfield - San Jose Giants
- Lively Strong as Blaze Beat San Jose - Bakersfield Blaze
- Lancaster Wins Sixth Straight Behind Dominant Velasquez - Lancaster JetHawks
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