Giants Drop Second Straight to Ports
August 17, 2023 - California League (CalL)
San Jose Giants News Release
The San Jose Giants were held to one hit on Wednesday - their lowest total in a game this season - on the way to a 4-2 loss to the Stockton Ports at Banner Island Ballpark. The Ports built a 4-0 lead in the contest and the Giants (60-50 overall, 20-24 second half) were unable to recover as Stockton claimed a second straight game to open the series.
Both of San Jose's runs on Wednesday came in the top of the sixth with Alexander Suarez's single during the frame marking the lone Giants hit of the night. San Jose fell to 4-10 at Banner Island Ballpark this season (5-1 vs. Ports at Excite Ballpark).
Stockton jumped on Giants spot-starter Esmerlin Vinicio early scoring twice in the bottom of the first inning to take a 2-0 lead. After Vinicio retired the first two batters of the inning, Henry Bolte singled and clean-up hitter Jose Mujica followed with an RBI double to left to put the Ports on the board. Myles Naylor was up next and he produced a third straight two-out hit as his RBI single plated Mujica to make it 2-0.
Stockton then added single tallies in the third and fourth innings to extend their lead. In the bottom of the third, a two-out error on Giants catcher Luke Shliger scored the run while a Vinicio balk following a single and a pair of stolen bases in the bottom of the fourth gave the Ports another run for a 4-0 margin.
San Jose cut the deficit in half with a two-run top of the sixth, but were unable to get any closer. Back-to-back errors allowed P.J. Hilson and Turner Hill to reach safely to start the inning producing the first Giants run. After a wild pitch advanced Hill to second, Suarez grounded a single into left - San Jose's only hit of the game - to put runners on the corners. Diego Velasquez was up next and he lifted a sacrifice fly to right bringing home Hill to bring the Giants within 4-2.
San Jose though went down quietly over the final three innings as Stockton closed out the victory. In the top of the seventh, Shliger was hit by a pitch to leadoff, but was promptly erased on a double play grounder. In the eighth, Hill drew a one-out walk to bring the potential tying run to the plate, however Suarez struck out and Velasquez flied out to end the inning. The Giants were then set down in order in the top of the ninth.
Rehabbing Oakland A's pitcher Mason Miller pitched the first two innings for the Ports allowing no hits with one walk and two strikeouts. Eduardo Rivera followed with six dominant innings out of the bullpen yielding just one hit and two unearned runs. He walked three and struck out six. Blaze Pontes pitched the top of the ninth inning for his eighth save of the year.
Vinicio (4-7), who was making only his third start of the season, took the loss after surrendering four runs (three earned) on six hits over four innings of work. Marques Johnson (2 IP, 1 H, 2 SO), Jorge Garcia (1 IP, 1 SO) and Luis Moreno (1 IP) combined to throw four scoreless innings out of the bullpen for San Jose. Giants pitching retired 14 out of the final 15 Ports hitters that they faced in the losing effort.
The Giants play the third game of their series in Stockton on Thursday night with first pitch at Banner Island Ballpark set for 7:05 PM. Manuel Mercedes is San Jose's scheduled starting pitcher.
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