Giants Clinch First Half Title with 10-Inning Win
Published on June 15, 2013 under California League (CalL1)
San Jose Giants News Release
VISALIA - The San Jose Giants clinched the first half North Division title with a 5-4, 10-inning victory over the Visalia Rawhide on Friday evening at Recreation Park. By virtue of winning the first half crown, San Jose has secured a spot in the playoffs for a California League record 10th consecutive season.
The Giants (42-26) have now won a remarkable eight first half North Division championships in the last nine years. San Jose receives a first round bye in the playoffs and will open the postseason on Saturday, September 7 at Municipal Stadium with Game One of the best-of-five North Division Series. Playoff game times and ticket information will be announced at a later date.
The Giants scored the go-ahead run on Friday in the top of the 10th when Angel Villalona's two-out grounder to shortstop was mishandled by Visalia's Sean Jamieson for an error allowing Chris Lofton to come home from second. San Jose relievers Cody Hall (1 2/3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO), Bryce Bandilla (1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 SO) and Josh Osich (1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO) combined for 3 2/3 hitless innings to finish the game.
Bobby Haney (3-for-5, 2B, RBI) and Skyler Stromsmoe (3-for-4, 2B, SB) had three hits apiece to lead the Giants offensively. Brock Bond (2-for-6, 2B, RBI) and Angel Villalona (2-for-4) added two hits each while Devin Harris (1-for-5, HR, RBI) smacked his 14th home run of the season.
San Jose trailed 4-3 until pushing across a run in the top of the seventh inning. Villalona started the frame by getting hit by a pitch before moving to second when Mac Williamson grounded out. After Harris struck out, Jeff Arnold stepped to the plate and blasted a double off the fence in right field to plate Villalona with the tying run.
The Giants threatened to take the lead in the top of the eighth when they loaded the bases with one out. Haney singled before Bond doubled down the right field line to put runners on second and third. Lofton was then intentionally walked, but Villalona popped out and Williamson struck out to end the inning.
Meanwhile, Hall retired all five batters of his outing, including the last two hitters of the bottom of the seventh before a 1-2-3 eighth inning. In the top of the ninth, Stromsmoe ripped a two-out double off the fence in right, but Shawn Payne followed by striking out to keep the game tied.
Bandilla relieved Hall to begin the bottom of the ninth and promptly issued a leadoff walk to Matt Helm. Kerry Jenkins followed with a sacrifice bunt to advance the potential winning run to second, but Bandilla registered strikeouts of the next two hitters, Chris McMurray and Evan Marzilli, to force extra-innings.
Rawhide All-Star closer Jake Barrett entered the game to begin the top of the 10th and quickly retired the first two batters of the inning. However, Lofton followed with a line drive single to right before taking second on a passed ball. A pitch later, Villalona's sharp grounder to shortstop bounced off the glove of Jamieson and into shallow center field for an error as Lofton raced home with the go-ahead run.
In the bottom of the 10th, Osich retired leadoff batter Kevin Medrano on a groundout to first base in a nine-pitch at-bat. Gerson Montilla then struck out swinging before David Nick popped out to shortstop to end the game and set off San Jose's first half championship celebration.
Bandilla (1-3) was credited with his first win of the season for the Giants while Osich earned his eighth save.
Barrett (2-1) was saddled with the loss after yielding the game-deciding run in the top of the 10th inning.
Eric Surkamp started on the mound for San Jose in the third appearance of his rehabilitation assignment. Surkamp worked the first 3 1/3 innings and was charged with three runs (all earned) on four hits. He walked one, struck out three and threw 56 pitches.
Visalia immediately took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning before an out was recorded as Medrano led off with a double before Montilla crushed a two-run homer to left. The home run was Montilla's team-leading ninth of the season.
The Giants cut the lead in half in the top of the fourth when Harris led off with a towering home run to left center field. Two batters later, Stromsmoe singled and then stole second. Then with two outs, Haney belted an RBI double off the wall in left center to tie the game. Bond followed with an RBI single giving San Jose their first lead of the series at 3-2.
Surkamp breezed through a 1-2-3 bottom of the second before pitching around a one-out double in the third. After the Giants took the lead in the top of the fourth, Surkamp struck out the first batter of the bottom of the inning. Ryan Court followed with a single as Jason Forjet (3 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 SO) was then summoned from the bullpen. Forjet issued a pair of walks as the Rawhide loaded the bases with two outs and then McMurray lined a two-run single into center giving Visalia back the lead at 4-3.
The Rawhide though wouldn't score for the remainder of the game as Forjet tossed a perfect bottom of the fifth and then struck back-to-back hitters after a one-out single in a scoreless sixth inning.
Notes: The Giants are four games ahead of Visalia in the North Division ... After Friday, there are only two games remaining in the first half ... The previous California League record for consecutive playoff appearances was held by the Stockton Ports (nine years, 1985-1993) ... San Jose improved their road record to a league-best 23-10 ... Harris' 14 home runs are tied with Villalona for the team lead ... The Giants were in first place for all but five days of the first half.
On Deck: The Giants and Rawhide continue their series on Saturday evening with first pitch at Recreation Park scheduled for 6:00 PM. Ty Blach (7-2, 2.70 ERA) is slated to start on the mound for San Jose while Visalia is expected to counter with Keith Hessler (4-3, 6.88 ERA). The game can be heard live on sjgiants.com with coverage beginning at 5:30 PM.
California League Stories from June 15, 2013
- JetHawks Win South's First Half, Clinch Playoffs - Lancaster JetHawks
- Hessler Strong in Win over San Jose - Visalia Rawhide
- Late Comeback Falls Short in 6-4 Loss - Bakersfield Blaze
- Quakes Rock Ports 13-2 - Stockton Ports
- Giants Clinch First Half Title with 10-Inning Win - San Jose Giants
- 1st Half Title Hopes Alive After 4-3 Victory - Inland Empire 66ers
- 'Hawks Rally in Ninth to Clinch Share of Title - Lancaster JetHawks
- Nuts Fall 5-3, Drop Fourth Straight - Modesto Nuts
- Garcia Goes Deep Twice in Big Win - Rancho Cucamonga Quakes
- Blaze Capitalize in 6th, Hold off Modesto, 5-3 - Bakersfield Blaze
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