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CalL1 San Jose Giants

Giants Defeat JetHawks, Clinch Second Half Title

August 29, 2009 - California League (CalL1)
San Jose Giants News Release


The San Jose Giants clinched the second half North Division title and set a team-record with their 49th home win of the season in a 6-3 victory over the Lancaster JetHawks on Friday evening at Municipal Stadium. The Giants win, combined with losses from the Bakersfield Blaze and Stockton Ports on Friday, clinched the second half crown for San Jose. Nick Noonan rapped out three hits to lead the Giants offensive attack while San Jose scored five out of their six runs with two outs in an inning.

San Jose boasts a 43-18 second half record and own a 10-game lead over the Blaze and Ports in the North Division with only nine games remaining in the regular season. The Giants would have to finish with at least a 6-3 mark to break the team record for most wins in a half (1988, 48-24 record in second half).

The Giants also improved their home record this season to a remarkable 49-19. San Jose has not lost a series at Municipal Stadium since dropping two out of three games to the Inland Empire 66ers from May 19-21. The 1993 (48-20) and 2008 (48-22) teams held the previous team record for most wins at home in a season.

Noonan (3-for-4) was the lone Giants player to finish with a multi-hit game at the plate as San Jose won their third straight contest overall. T.J. Brewer (4-2) earned the victory out of the bullpen after striking out four in two innings with one run allowed. Wilmin Rodriguez faced the minimum six batters over the last two innings to earn his third save of the year. Giants pitchers combined for 13 strikeouts and only one walk.

San Jose took the lead for good in the bottom of the sixth inning with a single run against JetHawks starting pitcher Leandro Cespedes. With the score tied 3-3, Brian Bocock doubled with two outs before C.J. Ziegler blasted a double off the fence in left center field to score the go-ahead run.

The Giants extended their lead with two more runs in the bottom of the seventh. With one out, Darren Ford lined a double into left before Noonan singled to put runners on first and third. Thomas Neal then bounced a single into left field plating Ford while Conor Gillaspie capped the San Jose scoring for the night with a two-out RBI single into right.

With the Giants ahead by just one run, Brewer was able to pitch out of trouble in the top of the seventh to keep San Jose in front. After consecutive strikeouts of the first two hitters, Ronnie Ramirez and Craig Corrado both singled to put runners on first and second. Brewer though recovered to strikeout J.B. Shuck on a breaking pitch in the dirt to end the threat.

Rodriguez (2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO) struck out two in a perfect top of the eighth before working around a one-out single in the ninth. Rodriguez induced Ebert Rosario to ground into a 6-4-3 double play to seal the victory.

David Mixon made his first California League start of the season and tossed five innings with two runs and three hits allowed. Mixon struck out six and walked one as the right-hander achieved a season-high in innings pitched.

The Giants initially took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning when Kieschnick belted a two-out, RBI double to deep right center field. Lancaster immediately answered in the top of the second when Koby Clemens led off with a double before Jon Gaston smacked an opposite field two-run homer to left. The home run, Gaston's league-leading 31st of the season, gave the JetHawks a 2-1 lead.

San Jose tied the score in the bottom of the third as Noonan led off with a double, advanced to third when Kieschnick flied out and scored on a two-out wild pitch thrown by Cespedes.

The Giants again took advantage of a two-out wild pitch in the bottom of the fifth as Stromsmoe led off by drawing a walk, took second on a balk, advanced to third on a fly out before scoring when a Cespedes pitch got away from the catcher Clemens.

Lancaster bounced back in the top of the sixth against Brewer to tie the score at 3-3 when Shuck led off with a double before coming home on Clemens' two-out double to deep center field.

Cespedes (8-9) suffered the loss for the JetHawks after surrendering four runs (all earned) on five hits over six innings.

Notes: San Jose won both halves in the North Division for the second consecutive season and third time this decade (2001, 2008, 2009) ... Mixon was making his first start of the year with the Giants after 37 appearances out of the bullpen ... He was starting in place of Craig Clark, who had his turned in the rotation skipped in an effort to receive extra rest before the playoffs ... Five of San Jose's nine hits were doubles ... The Giants out-hit the JetHawks by a 9-8 margin ... Gillaspie (1-for-4, RBI) extended his hitting streak to 13 games with a seventh-inning single ... Kieschnick (.300, 23 HR, 103 RBI) was honored as the 2009 San Jose Giants Offensive Player of the Year before the game ... The Giants improved their overall record to 85-46.

On Deck: The Giants and JetHawks continue their series on Saturday evening with first pitch at Municipal Stadium scheduled for 6:00 PM. Kyle Nicholson (3-0, 2.89 ERA) is slated to start on the mound for San Jose while Lancaster is expected to counter with Tip Fairchild (2-2, 5.86 ERA). It's a MIX 106.5 Saturday in the Park and tickets can be purchased by calling (408)297-1435 or by visiting www.sjgiants.com.

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