Back-To-Back Homers Spoil Another Giants Comeback
July 3, 2023 - California League (CalL)
San Jose Giants News Release
Modesto's Gabriel Gonzalez and Gabe Moncada hit back-to-back home runs in the top of the ninth inning to send the San Jose Giants to a heartbreaking 9-8 loss on Sunday evening at Excite Ballpark. For the second straight game, the Giants rallied from a six-run deficit and took the lead in the bottom of the eighth, but then could not hold off the Nuts in the ninth inning and ultimately suffered the defeat. With the setback, San Jose (42-32 overall, 2-6 second half) has now dropped four out of the first five games in the series to Modesto.
Onil Perez (3-for-5, 2B) had three hits while Jose Ramos (2-for-2, RBI) reached base in all four of his plate appearances to lead the Giants offensively in the loss.
San Jose won on Saturday against the Nuts when they overcame a 6-0 deficit to earn a dramatic 12-11 victory. On Sunday, the Giants trailed by a 7-1 margin after three innings and again rallied to take the lead late in the contest.
After San Jose scored once in the bottom of the first on a Matt Higgins RBI single, Modesto scored six times in the top of the second inning to move in front 6-1. With Gerelmi Maldonado on the mound, a hit by pitch, an error and a walk loaded the bases for the Nuts with none out. A wild pitch then scored the tying run for Modesto before Milkar Perez's RBI groundout gave the Nuts a 2-1 lead. Then with two down, Justin Lavey smacked an RBI double to deep center bringing home the third run of the frame. Three straight walks then forced home another run to make it 4-1 which ended Maldonado's night. New pitcher Esmerlin Vinicio was then greeted by a Gonzalez two-RBI single as the Modesto lead grew to 6-1. The Nuts finished the top of the second with six runs on only two hits, but took advantage of four walks, an HBP and an error.
Modesto then extended their lead to 7-1 on a Perez RBI double in the top of the third off of Vinicio.
The Giants would begin their impressive comeback effort with a run in the bottom of the fourth. Dilan Rosario reached on a two-base error to start the rally, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on Alexander Suarez's sacrifice fly to make it a 7-2 game. Then in the sixth, San Jose pushed across three more runs. Perez led off with a double to deep right center before Anthony Rodriguez struck out, but reached safely on a wild pitch. P.J. Hilson then brought home Perez with a groundout to trim the deficit to 7-3. Back-to-back RBI singles from Rosario and Ramos then brought San Jose within 7-5.
Meanwhile, Daniel Blair was outstanding in a long relief role on the mound. Blair, who entered the contest to begin the top of the fourth, fired five scoreless innings with only two hits allowed to keep the Giants in the game. The right-hander did not issue a strikeout, but managed to pitch around two walks and needed only 62 pitches to get through his five innings. Blair lowered his season ERA to an outstanding 1.89.
Still down by a 7-5 margin, San Jose then rallied in the bottom of the eighth to take the lead. Perez led off the inning with a bunt single and took second when the throw from the third baseman Josh Hood bounced away for an error. Rodriguez followed with an infield single as he beat out a slow grounder to the right side. Perez advanced to third on the play and then scored when the next batter, Hilson, hit a grounder to shortstop that was thrown away by Cole Young for another error. A walk to Rosario followed and then during Ramos' at-bat, a wild pitch allowed Rodriguez to score tying the game 7-7. Ramos eventually walked himself and after a strikeout to Suarez, a sacrifice fly off the bat of Andrew Kachel to center field scored Hilson giving the Giants an 8-7 lead.
Needing three outs for a victory, San Jose turned to Tyler Vogel in the top of the ninth, who promptly struck out Colin Davis to start the inning. However, Gonzalez followed with a booming 411-foot home run to deep left center to tie the game 8-8. The next hitter was Moncada and he hit a towering 408-foot home run to right center that gave the Nuts back the lead at 9-8. The home runs were the seventh and eighth respectively this season for Gonzalez and Moncada.
The Giants threatened in the bottom of the ninth, but could not comeback again as Modesto closed out the victory. With one out, Perez singled and then advanced to second on a two-out wild pitch. However with the potential tying run in scoring position, Hilson flied out to shallow right to end the game.
Vogel (4-4) was saddled with his second loss of the series after surrendering both home runs in the top of the ninth. Five of the nine runs allowed by San Jose on Sunday were unearned. Former first round pick Reggie Crawford started on the mound and threw a scoreless top of the first inning on only nine pitches before Maldonado entered to begin the top of the second. The Giants out-hit the Nuts 10-8.
The Giants conclude their six-game series with Modesto on Monday evening at Excite Ballpark. First pitch is set for 6:30 PM. Seth Corry is San Jose's scheduled starting pitcher.
California League Stories from July 3, 2023
- Sell-Out Crowd Sees Rawhide Win Again - Rancho Cucamonga Quakes
- Grizzlies INF Ryan Ritter Tabbed California League Player of the Week for June 26 - July 2 - Fresno Grizzlies
- Ports Fail to Slow Down Fresno Bats in Sunday Loss - Stockton Ports
- Back-To-Back Homers Spoil Another Giants Comeback - San Jose Giants
- Roaring Grizzlies' Lineup Dismantles Ports 10-2 for 9th Straight Sunday Victory - Fresno Grizzlies
- Rawhide Hit Two Home Runs for the Win in Rancho - Visalia Rawhide
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