CalL San Jose Giants

Giants Blast Four Homers in 8-5 Win over Ports

Published on May 6, 2022 under California League (CalL)
San Jose Giants News Release


The San Jose Giants smacked a season-high four home runs on Thursday night in an 8-5 victory over the Stockton Ports at Banner Island Ballpark. Victor Bericoto hit a tiebreaking solo shot while Alexander Suarez and Rayner Santana also went deep as part of a three-homer top of the seventh inning. With the win, the Giants (14-10) have now claimed two straight games in the series.

San Jose pounded out 13 hits, six of which went for extra-bases. Bericoto (3-for-4, HR, RBI), Suarez (2-for-4, HR, 3 RBI), Santana (2-for-5, 2B, RBI), Grant McCray (2-for-6, 2 RBI, SB) and Yorlis Rodriguez (2-for-5, 2B) all finished with multi-hit games. The Giants also drew a season-high nine walks.

San Jose initially trailed on Thursday as Stockton scored twice in the bottom of the first off Giants starter Matt Mikulski to take a 2-0 lead. Three straight hits with one out produced the first run before a bases loaded hit by pitch scored the second Ports run. San Jose though immediately answered in the top of the second when Layer crushed the first pitch of the inning over the fence in deep right center for a solo home run. The mammoth 461-foot blast was Layer's second homer of the season. Bericoto was up next for the Giants and he singled before consecutive walks to Najee Gaskins and Max Wright loaded the bases. Suarez was then robbed of a grand slam as his deep fly ball was caught by Stockton center fielder Denzel Clarke as he leapt in the air and reached over the fence to make a spectacular play. Suarez settled for a sacrifice fly as Bericoto scored to tie the game. Then two batters later, McCray singled sharply into right plating Gaskins to give San Jose a 3-2 lead.

Mikulski settled down after his first-inning struggles and kept the Ports off the board over the second and third. The left-hander saw Stockton load the bases with two outs in the bottom of the third on two singles and a walk, but induced a pop out of Jose Mujica to retire the side and keep the Giants ahead.

Trevor McDonald relieved Mikulski to begin the bottom of the fourth and immediately ran into trouble as Robert Puason led off with a double and then scored the tying run when the next batter, Clarke, tripled to right. McDonald though recovered in dazzling fashion as he struck out the next three hitters to strand Clarke at third and maintain the 3-3 tie.

McDonald returned to the mound in the bottom of the fifth and recorded another punchout in a scoreless frame. McDonald and Evan Gates then combined to pitch the bottom of the sixth working around a leadoff single as the game remained deadlocked.

The decisive seventh-inning rally for San Jose began with Layer grounding out, but Bericoto followed by hammering a 1-0 pitch high down the left field line for a solo home run. The round-tripper was Bericoto's third of the year and it put the Giants back ahead at 4-3. Following a Gaskins walk and a groundout off the bat of Wright, Suarez stepped to the plate and launched an opposite field two-run homer to right center for a 6-3 cushion. Santana then went back-to-back as he belted a 450-foot home run to left to make it 7-3. The homers from Suarez and Santana were both their second longballs of the season.

Stockton quickly got two of the runs back in the bottom of the seventh to cut the San Jose lead in half, but would get no closer. Kevin Richards led off with a home run to right center to bring the Ports to within 7-4. A single and a two-base error followed to put runners on second and third with none out and bring the potential tying run to the plate, but Gates was able to limit the damage. A sacrifice fly from Pedro Pineda made it 7-5, but Mujica followed by striking out before Puason grounded out to end the inning.

After Julio Rodriguez struck out the side in a perfect bottom of the eighth, the Giants pushed across an insurance run in the top of the ninth when McCray knocked in Wright, who had drawn a leadoff walk, with a one-out RBI single.

Pitching with an 8-5 lead, Tyler Myrick worked the bottom of the ninth and after issuing a leadoff walk to Richards, set down Jhoan Paulino on a fly out before Junior Perez grounded into a game-ending double play.

GIANTS NOTES

Series Update: The Giants have now won two out of the first three games in the series. San Jose has hit seven home runs in the series. The seven homers have been hit by seven different players. Grant McCray is 7-for-15 in the series with eight RBI's.

On The Mound: Matt Mikulski was charged with two runs (both earned) on seven hits over three innings in his start. He walked one and struck out three. Trevor McDonald pitched the next 2 2/3 innings and allowed one run with no walks and four strikeouts. Evan Gates (1 1/3 IP, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 SO) was credited with the win. Julio Rodriguez (1 IP, 3 SO) and Tyler Myrick (1 IP, 1 BB) then combined on two hitless innings to finish the game. Myrick earned his team-leading third save of the year. Giants pitching combined for 12 strikeouts and only two walks on Thursday.

Errorless Streak Ends: The Giants had gone a season-high four straight games without an error before committing two miscues on Thursday.

Back-to-Back: The homers from Alexander Suarez and Rayner Santana in the top of the seventh marked the second time San Jose hit back-to-back home runs this season. Victor Bericoto and Abdiel Layer also accomplished the feat on April 26 versus Modesto.

Tied For First: With the win, the Giants (14-10) moved back into a tie for first place with the Fresno Grizzlies (14-10) in the North Division standings.

On Deck: The Giants and Ports continue their series on Friday evening with first pitch at Banner Island Ballpark slated for 7:05 PM. Eric Silva is San Jose's scheduled starting pitcher.

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California League Stories from May 6, 2022


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