22-Hit Outburst Propels Giants to 14-1 Rout of Ports
September 9, 2023 - California League (CalL)
San Jose Giants News Release
The San Jose Giants pounded out a season-high 22 hits in a 14-1 blowout victory over the Stockton Ports on Friday night at Excite Ballpark. Among the 22 hits included a season-high tying seven doubles as the Giants (68-62) won their third straight game in the series against the Ports.
Luke Shilger (5-for-6, 2B, 2 RBI) tied a San Jose Giants single-game record with five hits to lead the offensive outburst. Diego Velasquez (3-for-5, 2 2B, HR, 3 RBI) collected his league-leading 31st and 32nd doubles of the year and connected for a two-run home run. Cole Foster (3-for-6, SB), Bryce Eldridge (3-for-4, 2B, RBI), Justin Wishkoski (2-for-4, RBI) and Alexander Suarez (2-for-5, RBI) also produced multi-hit games while Javier Francisco (1-for-4, 2B, 3 RBI) drove in three runs. All 10 players who saw action for the Giants offensively on Friday recorded at least one hit.
Stockton's only run of the contest came in the top of the first on a Carlos Franco two-out RBI single off of rehabbing Giants starter Joe Ross. San Jose though would immediately answer in the bottom of the inning. Foster led off with a single before Velasquez stepped to the plate with one down and crushed a two-run home run to right. The round-tripper was Velasquez's eighth of the season as the Giants took a 2-1 lead.
San Jose then broke the game open with a five-run, five-hit bottom of the third. Eldridge started the rally with a one-out single before Wishkoski was hit by a pitch and Shliger singled to load the bases. Francisco was up next and he blasted a double off the fence in straightaway center to bring home both Eldridge and Wishkoski with the first two runs of the inning.
Dilan Rosario followed with a double into the right center gap plating both Shliger and Francisco as the lead grew to 6-1.
Suarez then delivered an RBI single to make it a 7-1 game.
The onslaught continued with two more runs in the bottom of the fifth for the Giants. Foster singled with one out before a two-out RBI double down the left field line from Velasquez stretched the lead to 8-1. Two batters later, Wishkoski's RBI single put San Jose ahead by a 9-1 margin.
The Giants scored their 10th run of the game in the bottom of the seventh as Velasquez led off with a double and eventually came home on a Francisco sacrifice fly. San Jose then completed the scoring with a four-run bottom of the eighth. A two-out double from Bandura off the fence in right started the rally and gave every player in the Giants lineup at least one hit. Drew Cavanaugh then came off the bench and lined a pinch-hit single into center to score Bandura for an 11-1 cushion. Eldridge followed with a ringing RBI double to deep left as Cavanaugh scored to make it 12-1.
Following an error, Shilger's fifth hit of the game was a two-run double down the left field line as lead was extended to 14-1.
Four San Jose pitchers - Ross, Tom Kane, Joe Whitman and Marques Johnson - combined on a four-hitter with 14 strikeouts. Ross pitched the first two innings in his fourth rehab start and allowed one run. Kane, who entered to begin the top of the third, followed with two scoreless innings with one hit allowed, one walk and two strikeouts. Whitman was credited with the win after striking out four in two perfect innings of work. Johnson then notched his first save of the year with three shutout innings to finish the game. Johnson surrendered only one hit with no walks and six strikeouts. Giants pitching has 56 strikeouts through the first four games of the series.
San Jose out-hit Stockton by a 22-4 margin and went 9-for-16 with runners in scoring position. San Jose's previous season-high for hits in a game was 19 - also against the Ports on May 19. The Giants have won three games in a row for the first time since August 1-3.
Luke Shliger had five hits - four singles and a double - in the Giants' 14-1 blowout win on Friday night
The Giants continue their series against Stockton on Saturday evening with first pitch at Excite Ballpark set for 6:00 PM. Esmerlin Vinicio is San Jose's scheduled starting pitcher. Visit sjgiants.com for tickets.
California League Stories from September 9, 2023
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- Quakes Play Long-Ball in Front of Sell-Out Crowd - Rancho Cucamonga Quakes
- Guante Shines, Bullpen Solid as Ports Blank Giants 3-0 - Stockton Ports
- Giants Stymied by Ports, Lose 3-0 - San Jose Giants
- Fresno Grizzlies Game Notes vs Modesto - Fresno Grizzlies
- Stayin' Alive: Grizzlies End Nuts' 16-Game Winning Streak With 3-2 Victory Friday - Fresno Grizzlies
- 22-Hit Outburst Propels Giants to 14-1 Rout of Ports - San Jose Giants
- Ports Fall Victim to San Jose Hit Parade, Dropped 14-1 - Stockton Ports
- George Steals Home...And the Show - Rancho Cucamonga Quakes
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