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CalL1 San Jose Giants

Giants Bounce Back With 7-4 Victory Over Rancho Cucamonga

September 1, 2005 - California League (CalL1)
San Jose Giants News Release


The San Jose Giants responded from a difficult ninth inning loss on Tuesday to post a 7-4 victory over the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes Wednesday evening to even the series at a game apiece. In front of 4,335 fans at The Epicenter, San Jose used a six-run second inning to take a big lead before holding off the Quakes. Nate Schierholtz led the offense with three hits including a home run while Jason Waddell notched the victory with six solid innings on the mound.

The Giants (37-28) remained three games behind Stockton (40-25) for first place in the Second Half North Division race. The Ports notched a come-from-behind 6-5, ten-inning win over visiting Modesto on Wednesday.

The Giants sent 11 batters to the plate in the top of the second inning plating six runs to take the early lead. Eddy Martinez-Esteve started the rally by getting hit by a pitch before Brian Buscher singled. A Schierholtz single loaded the bases and then Rancho Cucamonga starting pitcher Kevin Jepsen issued a walk to Todd Jennings forcing home a run.

Guillermo Rodriguez was up next and the Giants catcher ripped a double into deep right center field scoring Buscher and Schierholtz for a 3-0 lead. Jennings would also score on the play when during a rundown in between third base and home plate, Quakes catcher Bobby Wilson threw the ball away. Then with two outs, an RBI double from Clay Timpner and a John Bowker single produced two more runs to cap the second-inning scoring.

San Jose scored their final run of the contest in the top of the third inning when Schierholtz blasted an 0-1 pitch from Quakes reliever Rich Thompson over the fence in right field for a home run. For Schierholtz, who leads the Giants in batting average at .321, it was his 15th round-tripper of the season.

Waddell was making just his second start of the year as he improved his season record to 5-1. Waddell retired the first ten batters he faced in the game before Ryan Leahy doubled with one out in the bottom of the fourth inning. The Quakes plated a single run in the fourth inning before registering two more scores in the bottom of the fifth. The damage was limited in the fourth though when Schierholtz threw out Leahy at home plate on a Brandon Wood single to right field. Schierholtz is now tied for the league lead (Drew Macias, Lake Elsinore) in outfield assists with 15.

Waddell finished the night with three runs allowed (two earned) on six hits. The left-hander walked one and struck out five. Waddell set down the Quakes in order in four out of his six innings of work.

Geno Espineli relieved Waddell to start the seventh and fired a pair of perfect innings out of the bullpen with three strike outs. Joe Bateman surrendered one run on two hits in the bottom of the ninth inning, but retired Aaron Peel, who represented the potential tying run, on a ground out to end the game.

Schierholtz's big game saw him finish 3-for-4 with the home run and an RBI. Other multi-hit games for the Giants came from Pat Dobson (2-for-5), Bowker (2-for-4, RBI), and Rodriguez (2-for-4, 2B, 2 RBI).

The Giants (81-54) reduced their magic number to one over Stockton (76-59) to clinch the top overall record in the North Division. Homefield advantage (the right to host Game Five of the best-of-5 Division Series) is at stake. San Jose has a five game lead with just five games remaining in the regular season. The Giants and Ports will meet four times starting on Friday to conclude the 2005 campaign.

San Jose improved to 4-2 thus far on their current ten-game road trip. The Giants finished August with a 19-10 (.655) record.

San Jose 0 6 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 7 11 2

R. Cucamonga 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 1 - 4 8 1

WP: Jason Waddell (5-1)

LP: Kevin Jepsen (0-1)

HR: San Jose - Nate Schierholtz (15)

Records: San Jose (81-54), Rancho Cucamonga (60-74)

* The Giants conclude this three-game series with the Quakes on Thursday evening with first pitch at The Epicenter scheduled for 7:15 P.M. Jesse Floyd (11-6, 5.35 ERA) is slated to start on the mound for San Jose while Rancho Cucamonga is expected to counter with Bill Edwards (1-6, 5.98 ERA).

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