Giants Drop Second Straight to Storm, 8-5
July 23, 2018 - California League (CalL1)
San Jose Giants News Release
LAKE ELSINORE, CA - The Lake Elsinore Storm scored eight runs over the fifth and sixth innings en route to handing the San Jose Giants an 8-5 defeat on Sunday night at The Diamond. The loss for the Giants (45-56 overall, 11-20 second half) was their second straight to open the series and fifth in their last six games overall.
Gio Brusa (3-for-4, 2B, 2 HR, 3 RBI) homered twice as part of a three-hit night to lead San Jose offensively in the setback. The home runs were Brusa's team-leading 15th and 16th of the season.
The Giants enjoyed a 2-0 lead in the contest after plating single runs in the third and fifth innings. Brusa opened the scoring with a towering solo shot down the right field line in the top of the third. Then in the fifth, back-to-back two-out doubles from Brusa and Matt Winn produced the second San Jose run of the evening.
Carlos Sano started on the mound for the Giants and began his night with four dominant innings. The right-hander didn't allow a hit until Hudson Potts reached on an infield single with one out in the bottom of the fourth. Sano returned to the mound in the fifth with San Jose ahead by two runs, but immediately ran into trouble. Allen Cordoba led off with a line drive single into center for Lake Elsinore. Rod Boykin then dropped down a bunt in front of home plate. The catcher Winn picked-up the ball, but has throw to first sailed wide and deflected off the glove of Brusa and down the right field line. Winn was charged with an error as Cordoba raced around the bases and scored the Storm's first run while Boykin advanced safely into third. Marcus Greene Jr. then bounced a single up the middle to plate Boykin tying the game 2-2. The rally continued as Edward Olivares singled before Eguy Rosario worked a five-pitch walk to load the bases. Potts then lined an 0-2 pitch from Sano into left field for a single. The hit easily scored both Greene Jr. and Olivares to give Lake Elsinore a 4-2 lead. Luis Torrens was up next and he laced an RBI double into the right center field gap - the seventh straight Storm hitter to reach safely to open the inning - to make the score 5-2. Torrens' hit ended Sano's night as Franklin Van Gurp was summoned from the bullpen and he promptly recorded two strikeouts and induced a fly out to end the inning without further damage.
The Giants got one run back in the top of the sixth to trim the Storm advantage to 5-3. Jalen Miller led off with a single before moving to second on a Wander Franco groundout. Heath Quinn then ripped a single into left center to plate Miller bringing San Jose to within two runs. Quinn advanced to second on the throw home, but was stranded there when Jacob Heyward and Sandro Fabian both struck out.
Lake Elsinore would keep the pressure on with three more runs in the bottom of the sixth. Van Gurp walked Boykin to start the inning before a wild pitch advanced the runner to second. Greene Jr. then doubled down the left field line to plate Boykin with the first run of the inning. A one-out walk to Rosario led to another change on the mound as Connor Overton was brought into pitch. Overton though would issue a two-out walk to Torrens before Jorge Ona delivered a two-run single into right stretching the Storm lead to 8-3.
In the top of the seventh, Beltre drew a leadoff walk for San Jose before Brusa clubbed his second home run of the game - a blast to right center. The round-tripper made the score 8-5, but the Giants would get no closer. The next three San Jose batters were quickly retired to end the inning before the Giants went down 1-2-3 in the top of the eighth. In the ninth, Fabian struck out to leadoff the inning, but reached first safely on a wild pitch. Lake Elsinore closer Dauris Valdez though recovered by setting down the next three hitters on a strikeout, a fly out and another strikeout to end the game.
Storm starter Ronald Bolanos (4-6) earned the win after tossing six innings with three runs (all earned) allowed. Bolanos gave up five hits, walked one and struck out seven. Valdez collected his seventh save of the year.
Sano (1-3) was charged with five runs (four earned) over four-plus innings of work to take the loss. He surrendered seven hits, walked one and struck out four.
Notes
* The Giants fell to 1-4 on their road trip.
* San Jose is winless in five games at The Diamond this season.
* The multi-homer game was Brusa's second this year. He hit three home runs on June 10 at Modesto. Brusa is tied for fourth in the California League with 16 home runs this season.
* Center fielder Bryce Johnson was activated from the disabled list before the game on Sunday.
* The Storm out-hit the Giants 11-6. Lake Elsinore has scored 16 runs over the first two games of the series.
On Deck
The Giants conclude their three-game series in Lake Elsinore on Monday evening with first pitch at The Diamond scheduled for 6:00 PM. Mac Marshall (0-1, 2.42 ERA) is slated to start on the mound for San Jose while the Storm are expected to counter with Pedro Avila (5-6, 3.99 ERA). The game can be heard live on sjgiants.com with coverage beginning at 5:40 PM.
California League Stories from July 23, 2018
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- Morgan and Brigman Provide Late Thunder and Lightning - Modesto Nuts
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- Early Offense Not Enough as Defense Falters for Sixers - Inland Empire 66ers
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- Modesto Contains Rancho on Sunday; Quakes Home Monday at 10:35am - Rancho Cucamonga Quakes
- Rawhide Offense Muscles up in 9-4 Win - Visalia Rawhide
- Giants Drop Second Straight to Storm, 8-5 - San Jose Giants
- Series Even as JetHawks Fall to Visalia - Lancaster JetHawks
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