Wild Pitch Lifts Giants to Game Two Win
Published on September 13, 2010 under California League (CalL1)
San Jose Giants News Release
Francisco Peguero scored the game-winning run on a wild pitch in the bottom of the ninth inning to lift the San Jose Giants to a thrilling 6-5 victory over the Modesto Nuts in Game Two of the North Division Series on Sunday evening at Municipal Stadium. Modesto rallied on three separate occasions, but was never able to take the lead as the Giants now own a 2-0 advantage in the series.
Peguero (3-for-5, 2B) collected three hits and scored three times to lead the San Jose offensive attack. Brandon Crawford (3-for-4) also finished with three hits.
Peguero began the bottom of the ninth inning with a slow ground ball to second base and was able to beat the throw to first for an infield single. Then with Juan Perez at the plate, Nuts reliever Casey Weathers threw wildly to first on a pick-off attempt as Peguero raced into second on the error. Perez advanced the runner to third with a groundout bringing Jose Flores to the plate. On the first pitch of the at-bat, Weathers uncorked a wild pitch as Peguero scored easily to spark a wild celebration at home plate.
Jason Stoffel was credited with the victory out of the Giants bullpen after tossing a scoreless top of the ninth inning. Stoffel stranded runners at second and third in his only inning of work to keep the game tied.
San Jose took an early 1-0 lead in the contest with a single run in the bottom of the first inning against Modesto starter Ethan Hollingsworth. Peguero started the frame with a double to deep left center field before coming home on Jose Flores' one-out single into right. Flores' single was the only Giants hit in 15 at-bats with runners in scoring position.
Kelvin Marte started on the mound for San Jose and began his outing with a pair of scoreless inning before running into trouble in the top of the third. Consecutive one-out singles from Erik Wetzel and Tim Wheeler put runners on first and second before Ben Paulsen stepped to the plate with two outs and lined a double into the right center field gap. On the play, Wetzel scored the tying run, but Wheeler was thrown out at the plate on a perfect relay throw from the shortstop Crawford.
The Giants immediately reclaimed the lead in the bottom of the third with back-to-back singles from Peguero and Perez starting the inning. Flores then hit a ground ball to second that was mishandled by Joe Sanders for an error as Peguero easily scored to make it 2-1. Johnny Monell followed with a sacrifice fly to left plating Perez with the second run of the inning.
San Jose moved in front by a 4-1 margin in the bottom of the fourth as Crawford led off with a single, advanced to third on Drew Biery's one- out double into the left field corner and scored when Joel Weeks bounced out to second.
Marte was able to pitch out of a fourth-inning jam as Modesto put runners on first and third with one out, but Johnny Bowden grounded into a 3-6-3 double play. However in the fifth, Michael Zuanich delivered a two-out, two-run homer to straightaway center field to bring the Nuts to within 4-3. After Marte allowed a double to the next hitter, Paulsen, he was removed from the game in favor of Ben Wilshire. Wilshire intentionally walked Jimmy Cesario, but then struck out Sanders to keep the Giants in front.
Marte allowed three runs (all earned) on nine hits over 4 2/3 innings. The left-hander walked one and struck out none.
Modesto climbed back into a tie with a single run in the top of the sixth against Wilshire, but reliever Wilmin Rodriguez managed to strand the bases loaded to prevent the Nuts from taking their first lead of the series. Wilshire hit Ryan Peisel with a pitch to begin the inning before David Christensen came through with a one-out, RBI double to the fence in right center field to tie the game 4-4. Wetzel followed by drawing a walk to force another pitching change, but Rodriguez then walked Wheeler to load the bases. However, Rodriguez was able to settle down as the left-hander struck out Zuanich looking on a 3-2 pitch before Paulsen struck out swinging to end the inning.
The back-and-forth affair continued in the bottom of the sixth as Charlie Culberson led off with a double to deep right center. Culberson moved to third when Crawford grounded out and then scored on Wendell Fairley's sacrifice fly.
The Giants lead though would be short-lived as after Rodriguez struck out Cesario to begin the top of the seventh, new pitcher Brian Anderson entered the game and immediately gave up a solo homer to Sanders for a 5-5 tie.
San Jose had opportunities to move back in front over the next two innings, but left a runner in scoring position in each frame. In the bottom of the seventh, Weeks led off with a double while pinch-runner Ehire Adrianza advanced to third when Peguero grounded out. However, Perez then hit a ground ball to third and Adrianza was easily thrown out at the plate by the third baseman Peisel for the second out of the inning. Perez promptly stole second and Flores drew a walk, but Monell grounded out to end the threat.
In the bottom of the eighth, Crawford and pinch-hitter Michael Sandoval each singled with one out to put runners on first and second, but Nuts pitcher Paul Bargas struck out Biery and Adrianza to keep the score tied.
Anderson recovered after yielding the home run as the reliever set down the next five hitters to complete his outing. Stoffel entered the game to begin the top of the ninth and allowed a two-out infield single to Cesario before Sanders drew a walk. A wild pitch moved the runners to second and third, but Stoffel recovered inducing Peisel to ground out routinely to second base ending the inning and setting up San Jose's dramatics in the bottom of the frame.
Weathers suffered the loss for the Nuts after allowing the ninth- inning run. Weathers was officially charged with one unearned run on one hit over 1/3 of an inning. Hollingsworth worked the first six innings and allowed five runs (four earned) on eight hits. He struck out five and walked none.
Notes: The Giants have not trailed at any point in the series ... San Jose had nine walk-off wins during the regular season ... Peguero is 5- for-10 in the first two games of the series after finishing the regular season on a 20-game hitting streak ... Both clubs had 12 hits ... Wilshire (2/3 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 SO), Rodriguez (1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 SO), Anderson (1 2/3 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 SO) and Stoffel (1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 SO) all pitched out of the Giants bullpen.
On Deck: The Giants and Nuts will play Game Three of the best-of-five North Division Series on Monday evening in Modesto with first pitch at John Thurman Field scheduled for 7:05 PM. Kyle Woodruff (3-3, 3.02 ERA) is slated to start on the mound for San Jose while Modesto is expected to counter with Kenny Durst (9-6, 5.36 ERA). The game will be televised live on Comcast Hometown Network, Channel 104.
California League Stories from September 13, 2010
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