Giants Conclude First Half With 11-Inning Victory
Published on June 17, 2007 under California League (CalL1)
San Jose Giants News Release
David Maroul singled home Anthony Contreras with two outs in the bottom of the 11th inning Sunday afternoon to give the San Jose Giants a 4-3 victory over the Modesto Nuts in the final game of the First Half. In front of 2,067 fans at Municipal Stadium, the Giants posted their second walk-off victory of the three-game series against the Nuts. San Jose, who won the division title on Friday, concludes the First Half with a 39-31 record - four games ahead of the second-place Stockton Ports (35-35).
Taylor Wilding notched the victory on the mound with a perfect top of the 11th inning. San Jose's lone all-star representative struck out one and improved his record to 4-0.
Contreras (3-for-5) and Ben Copeland (3-for-5, 3B, RBI) each finished with three hits for the Giants to lead the offensive attack. Maroul (2-for-5, RBI) also contributed a multi-hit game while Tyler Von Schell (1-for-5, HR, RBI) blasted his ninth home run of the season.
With the score tied 3-3, Contreras started the 11th inning rally with a line drive single into center field. A wild pitch from Jon George moved Contreras to second base before a strike out of Mike Mooney and a fly out off the bat of Pablo Sandoval. Maroul then stepped to the plate and on a 2-1 pitch, lined a George offering to deep left field over the glove of a diving Nick Haley to plate Contreras.
Henry Sosa made his San Jose Giants debut on the hill and fired six effective innings to begin the contest. Sosa, who was promoted from Augusta (Low-A) earlier in the weekend, allowed two runs (both earned) on four hits. The right-hander walked three and struck out five.
Trailing 2-1, the Giants rallied to score two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to take their first lead of the afternoon. Facing starting pitcher Brandon Hynick, Maroul started the frame with a single. After moving to second on Brad Boyer's ground out, Maroul scored when Antoan Richardson lined a single into center field.
With two outs, Copeland hammered a triple to deep right center field scoring Richardson with the go-ahead run. The hit knocked Hynick out of the game as the all-star starting pitcher allowed three runs (all earned) on nine hits in 6 2/3 innings.
Modesto quickly tied the score in the eighth inning when Jeff Kindel brought home a run with a two-out double down the right field line against reliever Kelvin Pichardo.
The Nuts jumped in front 1-0 with a single run in the first inning off Sosa. Consecutive walks of Dexter Fowler and Everth Cabrera started the game before Chris Nelson singled to load the bases. Fowler scored when the next batter, Kindel, grounded out to second base on a diving stop from Boyer. Sosa settled down to strike out Neil Wilson and induce Haley to fly out limiting the Nuts to one run.
Sosa allowed just one hit over four innings spanning the second through the fifth.
San Jose tied the score 1-1 in the bottom of the second when Von Schell blasted a solo homer down the left field line.
The game remained tied until the sixth when Wilson brought home Cabrera with a sacrifice fly to right field.
Pichardo (2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 SO) and Tyler Walker (2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO) both pitched out of the Giants bullpen before Wilding entered the contest in the 11th.
Notes: San Jose finished the homestand with a 5-2 record ... They took two-of-three against Modesto including a 4-3 victory Friday night with three runs in the bottom of the ninth ... Sosa was 6-0 with a 0.73 ERA in 13 appearances (ten starts) with Augusta before his promotion ... He was leading all of Minor League Baseball in ERA entering Sunday's start ... To make room for Sosa on the roster, relief pitcher Wayne Foltin (1-1, 5.96 ERA) was placed on the disabled list ... Walker made his second appearance out of the San Jose bullpen since joining the club from Extended Spring Training Friday ... Walker is on a rehabilitation assignment as he recovers from Tommy John Surgery ... The right-hander, who has 150 games of Major League experience, worked perfect ninth and tenth innings Sunday ... Wilding lowered his ERA to 1.52 ... Copeland raised his team-leading batting average to .309 ... Sosa's fastball topped out at 96 M.P.H. ... San Jose's 39-31 record is tied with Inland Empire and Lancaster for the best mark in the California League.
On Deck: The Giants will enjoy three days off for the All-Star break before returning to action on Thursday evening with the opener of a three-game series at Bakersfield to begin the Second Half. First pitch Thursday night at Sam Lynn Ballpark is scheduled for 7:30 P.M. Joe Martinez (5-5, 3.56 ERA) is slated to start on the mound for San Jose. The game can be heard live on www.sjgiants.com.
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