Giants Drop 14-Inning Marathon to Storm
August 7, 2019 - California League (CalL1)
San Jose Giants News Release
San Jose suffered more heartbreak on their Southern California road trip Tuesday night as the Lake Elsinore Storm rallied for an 8-7, 14-inning win over the Giants. San Jose took a two-run lead in the top of the 11th only to see the Storm battle back to tie the score in the bottom of the frame. The Giants went back ahead with a run in the 14th, but Lake Elsinore again answered scoring twice in the bottom half for the dramatic victory. San Jose endured their second extra-inning loss and third walk-off defeat on the road trip.
The Giants had initially come-from-behind to tie the game as Courtney Hawkins smacked a mammoth two-run home run to left in the top of the eighth bringing the club even at 4-4. Olbis Parra managed to escape a bases loaded, two out jam in the bottom of the ninth to force extras before the teams traded opportunities with the automatic runner at second base over the next several innings.
After both teams failed to score in the 10th, San Jose broke through with a two-run top of the 11th to take their first lead of the night. Hawkins was the free runner at second base to start the inning and was still there with two down after Dalton Combs flied out and Sandro Fabian popped out. Manuel Geraldo was up next and he struck out, but the pitch glanced off the glove of catcher Jalen Washington and rolled to the backstop. Geraldo made it safely into first on the passed ball and when Washington couldn't find the ball behind home, Hawkins raced around third and scored the go-ahead run. Geraldo would also take second on the play and he immediately scored a second run in the inning when the next batter, Kyle McPherson, lined a single into left.
Jesus Tona took the mound in the bottom of the 11th with the Giants ahead 6-4, but Lake Elsinore mounted a game-tying rally. Xavier Edwards led off with a single advancing the free runner, Washington, to third. A walk to Allen Cordoba followed loading the bases with none out. Aldemar Burgos then grounded into a fielder's choice to third as Washington scored and Cordoba was forced out at second. Gabriel Arias came up next and he lined a game-tying RBI single into right as Edwards scored to make it 6-6. Tona though would escape without further damage as he induced the next hitter, Eguy Rosario, to ground into an inning-ending 3-6-1 double play.
Neither team then scored in the 12th and 13th innings, but it wasn't for a lack of opportunities. The Giants had the go-ahead run at third with one out in the top of the 12th, but Joey Bart and Heath Quinn both grounded out. In the bottom half, Lake Elsinore had runners at first and second with none out, but reliever Frank Rubio induced a comebacker to start a double play before recording another groundout to end the inning.
In the top of the 13th, the Giants had runners at first and second with two outs when Geraldo hit a bouncer into the hole at shortstop. Arias fielded the ball and alertly saw the lead runner, Combs, go sprinting around third to attempt to score. Arias fired home and easily nabbed Combs at the plate to keep the game tied.
The Storm then had the bases loaded with none out in the bottom of the 13th, but Rubio found a way to escape. With the infield in, Cordoba hit a grounder to third that was stopped by a lunging Brandon Van Horn, who threw home to record the force out on the lead runner. Burgos then hit a grounder back to Rubio, who started a 1-2-3 inning-ending double play to send the game into the 14th.
San Jose briefly reclaimed the lead in the top of the 14th with utility infielder Ruddy Giron on the mound for Lake Elsinore. Following a sacrifice bunt from McPherson to start the inning advancing the go-ahead run to third, Van Horn blooped a single into shallow center plating Geraldo for a 7-6 Giants advantage. Giron though prevented further damage when he struck out Logan Baldwin and set down Bart on a shallow fly out to right.
The game then ended with a two-run Storm rally in the bottom of the 14th. John Gavin was summoned from the bullpen to start the inning and promptly allowed a leadoff single to left to Arias, who brought home the free runner at second to tie the score 7-7. Arias was then erased on an Eguy Rosario double play grounder to shortstop, but Lake Elsinore would restart the rally. Jack Suwinski grounded a single into right before a walk to Olivier Basabe advanced the winning run into scoring position. Jeisson Rosario was up next and he grounded a ball into the hole on the right side. McPherson ranged over from second and gloved the ball in very shallow right, but did not have a play on Rosario at first. Meanwhile, Suwinski came sprinting around third and managed to beat McPherson's one-hop throw to the plate for the game-winning tally and an 8-7 Storm victory.
GIANTS NOTES
Longest Game Of Season
At 14 innings, Tuesday's contest was the Giants' longest game of the year. The final game time of five hours and eight minutes was also a season-high. San Jose fell to 4-8 in extra-inning games this year (1-5 in last six).
Inside The Box Score
The Giants were 4-for-8 with runners in scoring position over the first nine innings, but went just 3-for-16 in extras. The Storm won despite leaving 18 runners on base and hitting into four double plays during the extra frames. San Jose hitters struck out 19 times.
Hitting Leaders
Courtney Hawkins' (1-for-6, HR, 2 RBI) homer was his ninth of the season. Kyle McPherson (3-for-5, RBI, SB), Heath Quinn (2-for-6, 3B), Manuel Geraldo (2-for-6, SB) and Brandon Van Horn (2-for-6, RBI) had multi-hit games for the Giants.
Phillips' Start
Aaron Phillips made the start for the Giants and allowed a career-high tying nine hits and four runs (all earned) in four innings. Lake Elsinore scored three times in the bottom of the second and once in the third against Phillips. The right-hander walked one and struck out one during his start.
Slumping
The Giants fell to 1-4 on their road trip and have lost six of seven games overall.
In The "Pen
San Jose's six relievers on Tuesday (Garrett Cave, Camilo Doval, Olbis Parra, Jesus Tona, Frank Rubio and John Gavin) combined to throw 9 2/3 innings with only two earned runs allowed (four runs total). Cave, Doval and Rubio each worked two innings without giving up a hit. Gavin (2-8) suffered the loss after surrendering both runs in the bottom of the 14th. Gavin has taken the loss in both extra-inning games on the road trip.
Storm Walk-Off
Lake Elsinore's last four home wins have been extra-inning walk-off victories.
On Deck
The Giants and Storm play the rubber game of their three-game series on Wednesday evening with first pitch at The Diamond set for 6:00 PM. Matt Frisbee is San Jose's scheduled starting pitcher.
California League Stories from August 7, 2019
- Storm Topple the Giants, 8-7, in 14 Innings to Move Within a Half Game of First Place - Lake Elsinore Storm
- Inland Empire Drops Modesto 6-2, Wins Fourth Straight Contest - Inland Empire 66ers
- Late Push Helps Ports Prevail 4-2 in Thriller - Stockton Ports
- Giants Drop 14-Inning Marathon to Storm - San Jose Giants
- Nuts Fall 6-2 in Series Opener - Modesto Nuts
- 'Hawks Cracked by Quakes in Opener - Lancaster JetHawks
- Rancho Bats Come out to Play to Snap Quakes' Five-Game Losing Streak - Rancho Cucamonga Quakes
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