CalL1 San Jose Giants

Giants conclude regular season with 7-6 victory over Stockton

Published on September 5, 2005 under California League (CalL1)
San Jose Giants News Release


The San Jose Giants finished the 2005 regular season with a dramatic 7-6 victory over the Stockton Ports on Monday afternoon. In front of 2,313 fans at Municipal Stadium, Brian Buscher drove home Nate Schierholtz with a single in the bottom of the eighth inning to snap a 6-6 tie en route to the victory. Jon Coutlangus then worked a scoreless top of the ninth to send the Giants to the win. San Jose finishes the regular season with a sparkling 85-55 record - the best mark in the California League. The Giants begin their quest for the California League championship on Saturday with Game One of the best-of-5 North Division series.

The Giants ended the year with a .295 team batting average - the highest mark in San Jose franchise history (1988-2005). They surpassed the 1996 club that hit .289. The Giants also set single-season team records in doubles (292) and home runs (143). San Jose finished the year with a winning record against every team in the league.

The back-and-forth affair on Sunday saw the Giants score a pair of runs in the bottom of the first inning to move in front, 2-0. With two outs, Todd Jennings singled and immediately scored when Eddy Martinez-Esteve doubled into the right field corner. Schierholtz was up next and he stepped to the plate and crushed a double off of the fence in deep left center field scoring Martinez-Esteve with the second run of the frame.

Jose Sanchez made his first start of the year for the Giants and allowed two runs - both in the top of the second - on two hits over two innings. Jason Waddell relieved Sanchez to start the third and surrendered a solo home run to Stockton's Ben Winslow to put the Ports ahead by a 3-2 score.

The Giants answered in the bottom of the fifth inning when Travis Ishikawa led off with a home run to left field. Ishikawa finishes the regular season with a team-high 22 home runs. San Jose went ahead in the bottom of the sixth when John Bowker led off with a double and scored three batters later on a two-out single from Schierholtz. Schierholtz eventually scored on a wild pitch.

The Ports though quickly answered in the top of the seventh when Luke Appert connected for a three-run home run off of Waddell to make the score 6-5. Waddell finished the afternoon with four-plus innings of work and four runs allowed on seven hits. Waddell walked one and struck out five.

San Jose tied the score in the bottom of the seventh when Anthony Contreras led off with a walk and raced home on three wild pitches. Then in the eighth, Schierholtz started a rally with a line drive triple down the right field. Buscher then followed with a single through the middle to put the Giants in front for good.

Schierholtz's triple was the 17th of his San Jose career to set a Giants career record.

Justin Hedrick recorded the victory in relief for San Jose after working a pair of perfect innings. Hedrick struck out two. Coutlangus walked Appert with two outs in the ninth, but responded with a strike out of Matt Allegra to end the contest. Hedrick and Coutlangus combined for three no-hit innings to conclude the game for San Jose.

Schierholtz led the Giants offensive attack with a 3-for-4, 2B, 3B, 2 RBI performance at the plate. Schierholtz ends the year with a .319 batting average to pace the club. Other multi-hit games on Sunday came from Jennings (2-for-3) and Buscher (2-for-4, RBI).

San Jose (41-29) ends the Second Half one game behind the Ports (42-28) for first place in the North Division.

Before the game, the San Jose Giants and Club One awarded Martinez-Esteve and Kevin Frandsen (now with AAA Fresno) as Co-Most Valuable Players of the team.

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California League Stories from September 5, 2005


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