Early Offensive Outburst Carries Giants to 13-7 Win
May 3, 2016 - California League (CalL1)
San Jose Giants News Release
STOCKTON, CA - The San Jose Giants scored 13 runs over the first three innings and then cruised to a 13-7 victory over the Stockton Ports on Tuesday afternoon at Banner Island Ballpark. The 13-run outburst set a new season-high for the Giants (12-11), who have now won the first two games of their series against the Ports.
C.J Hinojosa (4-for-5, 2 RBI) had four hits and drove in two runs while Chris Shaw (2-for-4, HR, 4 RBI) homered as part of a four-RBI game to lead the San Jose offensive attack. Cristian Paulino (2-for-5, 2B, 2 RBI), Steven Duggar (2-for-4, 2B, RBI), Jonah Arenado (2-for-5) and Ty Ross (2-for-4) also finished with two hits apiece.
The Giants scored two runs in the first inning, six runs in the top of the second and five runs in the third to jump out to a commanding 13-1 lead. In the top of the first, Hinojosa singled with two outs before Shaw stepped to the plate and crushed a two-run homer to deep right center. The home run was Shaw's second of the series and team-leading fifth of the season.
Jason Forjet started on the mound for San Jose and immediately ran into trouble as three straight Stockton singles in the bottom of the first loaded the bases with none out. Forjet though was able to limit the Ports to a single run as the Giants remained in the lead. Stockton clean-up hitter Tyler Marincov popped out to first for the first out of the inning before Joe Bennie grounded into a force out with one run scoring on the play. Forjet then retired Sandber Pimentel on a groundout to retire the side.
San Jose then exploded for six runs in the top of the second to push their lead to 8-1. A walk to Duggar started the frame before back-to-back singles from Arenado and Ross loaded the bases with none out. Paulino then grounded a double down the left field line to plate Duggar and Arenado with the first two runs of the inning. A wild pitch from Ports starter Zack Erwin followed to score Ross for a 5-1 advantage. Then with two outs, Hinojosa lined a single into right as Paulino scored to make it 6-1. After a passed ball moved Hinojosa to second and Shaw was intentionally walked, Jose Vizcaino, Jr. delivered an RBI single into center. Duggar, who had started the inning for the Giants, followed with a double down the right field line to score the sixth and final run of the frame.
San Jose sent 11 batters to the plate in the top of the second and scored six runs on six hits.
The Giants kept the pressure on with five more runs in the top of the third. Ross walked to start the rally before Paulino singled putting runners on first and second. A Ports error then allowed Johneshwy Fargas to reach which loaded the bases with none out. Brandon Bednar followed with a potential double play grounder to shortstop, but Stockton's Melvin Mercedes mishandled the ball for another error as one run scored on the play and the bases remained loaded. A walk to Hinojosa then forced home a run before Shaw laced a single into right plating two more. Vizcaino followed by grounding into a double play, but that scored another run to increase the San Jose lead to 13-1.
Meanwhile, Forjet cruised on the mound for the Giants from the second through the fifth innings. The right-hander set down Stockton 1-2-3 in the second, pitched around a leadoff single in the third before working perfect fourth and fifth frames. Forjet had retired 15 out of the last 16 Ports hitters until Stockton rallied in the bottom of the sixth.
With the score still 13-1, Mercedes led off the bottom of the sixth with a single before Marincov was hit by a pitch with one out. Bennie followed with a single to load the bases before Pimentel smacked a double to deep left plating two runs. Forjet then walked Seth Brown to load the bases and prompt a pitching change. Jose Reyes (1/3 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 SO) entered from the bullpen and induced Argenis Raga to hit a grounder to third. On the play, San Jose forced out Brown at second, but Raga beat the throw to first with Bennie coming home with the third run of the inning. Jose Brizuela then stepped to the plate and belted a three-run home run to right center. The homer, Brizuela's first of the season, capped a six-run inning for the Ports which cut the Giants lead to 13-7.
Stockton though would get no closer in the contest. Jose Morel (2 1/3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 SO) recorded the final out of the bottom of the sixth for San Jose before setting down the Ports in order in the seventh and eighth innings. Pat Young (1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO) then pitched a scoreless bottom of the ninth working around a two-out single to finish the game.
Forjet (3-1) earned his team-leading third win of the season after pitching 5 1/3 innings with six runs (all earned) and seven hits surrendered. He walked one and struck out three. Forjet threw only 50 pitches over the first five innings (one run allowed).
Notes:
* The Giants have won back-to-back road games for the first time this season.
* Shaw extended his hitting streak to 10 games - the longest by a San Jose player this year. He's batting .487 (19-for-39) with five home runs and 14 RBI's during the streak.
* Hinojosa (.386) and Shaw (.372) now rank first and second respectively in the California League in batting average. Tuesday marked Hinojosa's second four-hit game of the season.
* The Giants' previous season-high in runs scored was 12 (12-4 win over Modesto on April 24).
* San Jose improved to 5-0 against Stockton this year.
* Erwin (0-2) suffered the loss for the Ports after surrendering eight runs (all earned) on six hits in 1 2/3 innings. He entered the game second in the California League in ERA (1.27).
* The Giants out-hit Stockton by a 16-11 margin.
On Deck: The Giants and Ports continue their four-game series on Wednesday evening with first pitch at Banner Island Ballpark scheduled for 7:10 PM. Andrew Suarez (1-1, 2.78 ERA) is slated to start on the mound for San Jose while Stockton is expected to counter with Daniel Gossett (1-0, 3.32 ERA). The game can be heard live on sjgiants.com with coverage beginning at 6:40 PM.
California League Stories from May 3, 2016
- Early Offensive Outburst Carries Giants to 13-7 Win - San Jose Giants
- San Jose's Fast Start Sinks Stockton 13-7 - Stockton Ports
- Daniel Nava Rehabs with the 66ers - Inland Empire 66ers
- Pimentel's Blasts Not Enough as Ports Fall 5-2 - Stockton Ports
- Comeback Falls One Shy in Rancho - Bakersfield Blaze
- Reyes Pitches Giants to Victory over Ports - San Jose Giants
- Streak Ends with 5-4 Win over Storm - Modesto Nuts
- Quakes Back on Track, Hold off Blaze - Rancho Cucamonga Quakes
- Hernandez Sharp In Series Opening Loss - Lancaster JetHawks
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