Giants Drop Game 1 to Modesto
September 11, 2024 - California League (CalL)
San Jose Giants News Release
The San Jose Giants opened postseason play on Tuesday night with a 4-2 loss to the visiting Modesto Nuts in Game 1 of the best-of-three North Division Series. In front of a spirited crowd at Excite Ballpark, the Nuts took the lead for good with a fifth-inning run-scoring rally before the Modesto bullpen shut down the Giants bats late en route to securing the victory. Following an off day, the series now shifts to John Thurman Field in Modesto for Game 2 on Thursday night.
A frustrating game for the Giants saw the club commit a pair of key errors that led to two Nuts runs in the top of the second. After San Jose battled back to tie the game in the bottom of the fourth, Modesto responded with a run in the top of the fifth to reclaim the lead. The Giants would then leave the potential tying run at third base in both the fifth and sixth innings before the Nuts bullpen retired the side in order in each of the final three frames.
An early highlight for San Jose came in the bottom of the first when local product Zander Darby blasted a two-out solo home run to deep left center. Darby connected for four homers in only 13 regular season games for the Giants with his round-tripper on Tuesday giving San Jose a 1-0 advantage.
San Francisco Giants pitcher Jordan Hicks started on the mound in Game 1 as part of a rehab assignment and after breezing through a 1-2-3 top of the first saw the Nuts rally in the second. A fielding error committed by Darby at second base allowed Luis Suisbel to reach safely to begin the inning before Brandon Eike lined a single into center. Suisbel and Eike then successfully executed a double steal and when the throw to third from catcher Drew Cavanaugh sailed down the left field line for another error, the tying run came home. Two batters later, Josh Caron's sacrifice fly plated Eike giving Modesto a 2-1 lead. Both runs charged to Hicks in the inning were unearned.
Josh Bostick, the Giants' originally scheduled starter, relieved Hicks to begin the top of the third and promptly fired back-to-back 1-2-3 innings to begin his night before San Jose rallied in the bottom of the fourth to tie the game. With two outs and the bases empty, Robert Hipwell walked and Cesar Quintas was hit by a pitch. Jeremiah Jenkins then stepped to the plate and lined a 107 MPH single into right field bringing home Hipwell to bring the Giants even at 2-2.
The Nuts, however, would immediately grab back the lead in the top of the fifth. Bostick quickly set down the first hitters of the frame, but a 10-pitch walk to Carter Dorighi followed by a ringing RBI double into the right field corner from leadoff hitter Charlie Pagliarini made it 3-2 Modesto.
Missed opportunities then plagued the Giants in the bottom of the fifth and sixth innings. In the fifth, Lisbel Diaz drew a leadoff walk and Bo Davidson singled to put the potential tying and go-ahead runs on base with none out. A Darby groundout then advanced the runners to second and third, but both were stranded after Jakob Christian struck out looking and Walker Martin grounded out. An inning later, a Hipwell leadoff single and a Cavanaugh two-out infield single put runners on the corners, but the Nuts again escaped when Diaz grounded out to end the threat.
Modesto added a run in the top of the seventh as Caron drew a leadoff walk, advanced to second on a wild pitch and scored on Dorighi's one-out single to make it 4-2.
The Nuts bullpen would do the rest as the Giants did not manage another baserunner for the remainder of the game. Modesto relievers Brayan Perez, Will Riley, Trevor Long and Hunter Cranton combined to retire the final 10 San Jose hitters. Cranton, who pitched a 1-2-3 bottom of the ninth, earned the save.
Both teams finished the game with six hits. Jenkins (2-for-4, 3B, RBI) was the lone Giants player with a multi-hit game. All three San Jose errors came during the top of the second. The Giants went just 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position. Bostick was charged with the loss after yielding two runs (both earned) over 4 1/3 innings out of the bullpen.
Game 2 of the best-of-three North Division Series is set for Thursday night in Modesto. First pitch at John Thurman Field is at 7:05 PM. The game can be heard live on sjgiants.com. A Giants win on Thursday would force a decisive Game 3 on Friday in Modesto.
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