Ninth-Inning Run Sends Giants To Season-Opening Defeat
April 10, 2015 - California League (CalL1)
San Jose Giants News Release
LANCASTER, CA - Lancaster's Danry Vasquez delivered a two-out RBI single in the bottom of the ninth inning to left the JetHawks to a 3-2 season-opening victory over the San Jose Giants on Thursday evening at The Hangar. San Jose took a 2-0 lead into the late-innings before Lancaster plated two runs in the bottom of the seventh to tie the contest and then won with Vasquez's hit in the ninth.
Ryder Jones (2-for-4, HR, 2 RBI) had two hits, including a fourth-inning two-run home run, to lead the Giants offensively in defeat.
San Jose starting pitcher Tyler Beede impressed on the mound firing five scoreless innings in his California League debut. The right-hander allowed four hits, didn't issue a walk and struck out two during his 68-pitch performance.
The decisive ninth-inning rally began when Giants reliever Jeff Soptic walked James Ramsay to leadoff. Chan Moon followed with a sacrifice bunt advancing Ramsay to second before Brett Phillips lined out sharply to shortstop for the second out. Vasquez though followed with a first-pitch bloop single into shallow left center as Ramsay raced home and scored without a throw to send Lancaster to the walk-off win.
Soptic (0-1), who entered the game to begin the bottom of the ninth, suffered the loss for San Jose.
The Giants took a 2-0 lead in the top of the fourth when Brian Ragira singled with one out before Jones stepped to the plate and launched a two-run home run over the right field foul pole. Jones hit 10 home runs last season between Augusta (A) and Salem-Keizer (Short-Season).
San Jose, however, missed an opportunity to add to their lead in the fourth as Brandon Bednar followed the home run with a double down the left field line and then Ryan Lollis singled to put runners on the corners. New pitcher Tyler Brunnemann though induced the next hitter, Ty Ross, to pop out to first before Jesus Galindo lined out to right to end the inning and keep the score at 2-0.
Meanwhile, Beede didn't allow more than one baserunner in any of his five innings. He retired eight out of the first nine batters he faced before working around a Phillips two-out triple in the bottom of the third. In the fourth, Chase McDonald doubled with two outs, but was stranded in scoring position. Beede then finished his outing with a scoreless bottom of the fifth. After Jose Fernandez reached on an infield single to leadoff and was sacrificed to second by Ramsay, Moon grounded out and Phillips flied out to end the inning.
Christian Jones (1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 SO) pitched around a pair of one-out walks in the bottom of the sixth for the Giants to maintain the 2-0 lead. However in the seventh, Lancaster rallied with two runs against Ian Gardeck (2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 SO) to draw even. After Fernandez was hit by a pitch to start the frame, Ramsey singled to left putting runners on the corners. Moon followed with a sacrifice bunt plating Fernandez with the first JetHawks run as Ramsay advanced to second. Phillips then ripped a single into right bringing home Ramsay, who narrowly avoided the tag from the catcher Ross in a dramatic play at the plate.
Gardeck followed the Phillips hit with a strikeout and a groundout to end the inning before pitching a scoreless bottom of the eighth to keep the game tied. In the top of the ninth, the Giants appeared poised to reclaim the lead as Jones and Bednar delivered back-to-back singles putting runners on first and second with none out. However, Jones was thrown out at third on Lollis' sacrifice bunt attempt, Ross flied out to center and Galindo grounded out to second ending the threat.
Edison Frias (1-0) earned the win out of the Lancaster bullpen after tossing four scoreless innings to finish the game. Frias retired the first nine batters he faced. He ended his outing with just two hits allowed, no walks and four strikeouts.
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California League Stories from April 10, 2015
- Quakes Slip Past Blaze in Opener - Rancho Cucamonga Quakes
- Vasquez Blooper Sends 'Hawks to Opening Day Win - Lancaster JetHawks
- Ninth-Inning Run Sends Giants To Season-Opening Defeat - San Jose Giants
- Blaze Fall Late in Opener, 3-2 - Bakersfield Blaze
- 10 Unanswered Runs Drop Nuts - Modesto Nuts
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