Crick, Sandoval Key 3-2 Giants Victory over Ports
June 22, 2013 - California League (CalL1)
San Jose Giants News Release
STOCKTON - Kyle Crick struck out 10 over four scoreless innings and Pablo Sandoval homered to lead the San Jose Giants to a 3-2 victory over the Stockton Ports on Friday evening at Banner Island Ballpark. San Jose has won the first two games of the series allowing a total of just three runs to the Ports.
Sandoval (1-for-3, HR, RBI) hit a solo home run in the top of the third inning in the first game of his rehabilitation assignment to lead the Giants offensively. Brock Bond (2-for-4) and Mac Williamson (2-for-5, SB) added two hits apiece in the win.
Crick, who was activated off the disabled list before the game and was making his first start since April 18, dominated Stockton over his four-inning performance. The right-hander allowed three singles and issued three walks while recording 10 out of his 12 outs via the strikeout.
Edwin Escobar (2-3) was credited with the win after tossing a scoreless bottom of the fifth while Josh Osich pitched the ninth inning for his 11th save of the year.
San Jose took an early 2-0 lead with a pair of runs in the top of the second inning. Williamson started the frame with a single before stealing second base and then moving to third on a two-out wild pitch. After John Polonius drew a walk, Bobby Haney lifted a shallow fly ball to left that was dropped by Rashun Dixon for an error. The miscue allowed both Williamson and Polonius to score for a 2-0 advantage.
In the top of the third, Sandoval stepped to the plate with one out and lined an 0-1 pitch from Ports starter Shaeffer Hall over the fence in left center for a solo home run.
Meanwhile, Crick pitched around a one-out single and a walk in the bottom of the first to keep Stockton off the scoreboard. Crick picked-off Addison Russell, who was attempting to steal third base, for the second out before Tony Thompson struck out swinging.
Crick struck out a pair in a scoreless bottom of the second inning before striking out the side in the third. The Ports threatened in the bottom of the fourth against Crick loading the bases with one out, but were unable to score. Consecutive singles from Max Muncy and Thompson started the inning before a one-out walk to Antonio Lamas loaded the bases. Crick though settled down to register back-to-back swinging strikeouts of Dixon and Phil Pohl to end the inning.
Escobar (1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 SO) relieved Crick to begin the bottom of the fifth and needed only seven pitches to work a 1-2-3 frame. In the sixth, Luis Rojas (1 1/3 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 SO) pitched around a leadoff double from Muncy and a one-out walk to B.A. Vollmuth to keep the score at 3-0.
Stockton finally broke through in the bottom of the seventh when Dusty Robinson connected for a one-out solo homer to left. Rojas followed the home run by plunking Bobby Crocker, but Cody Hall (1 2/3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO) entered from the bullpen and quickly set down Russell and Muncy to maintain the 3-1 lead.
Hall then breezed through the bottom of the eighth retiring Thompson on a pop out before consecutive strikeouts of Vollmuth and Lamas.
In the bottom of the ninth, Dixon greeted Osich (1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 SO) with a towering leadoff home run to left center. The homer trimmed the Giants lead to 3-2. Osich recovered to strikeout the next batter, Pohl, before Robinson flied out to center, but a catcher's interference call with Crocker at the plate put the potential tying run at first. Russell was up next, but Osich induced the former first round pick to line out to right field to end the game.
Hall (1-2) was saddled with the loss after he was charged with three runs (one earned) on five hits over six innings. The left-hander walked one and struck out four. Hall finished his outing by retiring 10 straight hitters.
San Jose out-hit Stockton by a 9-6 margin. The Giants, who didn't score after the top of the third, left seven runners on base over the last three innings.
Notes: The Giants improved to 26-11 on the road this season ... San Jose is also a league-best 12-4 in one-run games (two one-run victories in this series) ... Crick was making just his fourth start of the season ... He's allowed only one earned run in 13 2/3 innings overall ... Of the 12 outs recorded by Crick on Friday, 10 were via the strikeout and the other two were on pick-offs ...His 10 strikeouts matched a career-high ... The teams combined to go 1-for-20 with runners in scoring position (Giants 1-for-12, Ports 0-for-8) ... Escobar was making just his second relief appearance of the year after 11 starts ... His next scheduled start is Tuesday versus Modesto ... Osich allowed his first home run in 37 2/3 innings this season ... Sandoval is expected to continue his rehabilitation assignment with San Jose on Saturday in Stockton.
On Deck: The Giants and Ports continue their series on Saturday evening with first pitch at Banner Island Ballpark scheduled for 7:05 PM. Adalberto Mejia (2-1, 4.07 ERA) is slated to start on the mound for San Jose while Stockton is expected to counter with Tanner Peters (7-4, 4.37 ERA). The game can be heard live on sjgiants.com with coverage beginning at 6:35 PM.
California League Stories from June 22, 2013
- Crick, Sandoval Key 3-2 Giants Victory over Ports - San Jose Giants
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