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CalL San Jose Giants

Giants Drop Series Opener to Ports, 4-2

September 8, 2021 - California League (CalL)
San Jose Giants News Release


The San Jose Giants opened their final home series of the regular season on Tuesday night with a 4-2 loss to the visiting Stockton Ports at Excite Ballpark. Stockton erased an early two-run deficit in the contest taking the lead for good on Zack Gelof's two-out, two-run homer in the top of the sixth. The Giants managed only four hits in defeat and didn't score after the first inning.

With Tuesday's loss, San Jose's (67-42) lead over Rancho Cucamonga (60-49) was trimmed to seven games in the Low-A West playoff race. 11 games remain in the regular season with the Giants' magic number to clinch a postseason berth still at four.

San Jose started fast in the series opener with Stockton as Patrick Bailey smacked an opposite-field two-run homer to left in the bottom of the first inning. The round-tripper, Bailey's seventh of the season, gave the Giants an early 2-0 lead.

Tuesday was a bullpen game for San Jose with Haydn King making his first start of the season after 18 relief appearances for the Giants. King worked a season-high three innings yielding only one hit and one run - a Junior Perez solo homer in the top of the second that cut the San Jose lead to 2-1. King, who retired nine of the 10 batters he faced, walked none and struck out two.

With the score still at 2-1, Ty Weber relieved King to begin the top of the fourth and came within one strike of tossing three perfect innings out of the bullpen. Weber breezed through a 1-2-3 fourth inning before needing only six pitches to set down the side in order in the top of the fifth. Weber returned to the mound in the sixth and quickly retired the first two hitters of the frame. However, a full-count walk to Kevin Richards kept the inning going and then Gelof stepped to the plate and launched a two-run home run to deep right center giving the Ports a 3-2 lead. It was Gelof's fourth home run since joining Stockton last month.

Meanwhile, the Giants managed only one hit and two total baserunners from the second through the seventh innings. Abdiel Layer reached safely on a two-base error to begin the bottom of the third, but was stranded at second when the next three hitters were retired. Layer then hammered a two-out double off the fence in left center with two outs in the bottom of the fifth, but San Jose could not bring him home. The Giants were then retired 1-2-3 in the bottom of the sixth after the Ports took the lead in the top of the inning before going down in order in the seventh as well.

Stockton pushed across a key run in the top of the eighth with Juan Sanchez on the mound as Jack Winkler doubled down the left field line with one out to begin the rally. Then with two down, Richards lined a single into center plating Winkler to make it a 4-2 game.

San Jose threatened in the bottom of the eighth loading the bases with none out, but failed to score. Grant McCray lined a single into right to start the inning before Layer walked and Yorlis Rodriguez was hit by a pitch. However with the potential tying and go-ahead runs on base, Luis Toribio struck out swinging on a 3-2 pitch and then Ghordy Santos grounded into a 4-6-3 inning-ending double play.

Trailing by two runs in the bottom of the ninth, Bailey led off with a single, however Luis Matos grounded into a double play and Carter Williams struck out to abruptly end the game.

GIANTS NOTES

Inside The Box Score

Stockton out-hit San Jose by a 5-4 margin. The Giants were 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position. The Ports had only six baserunners for the entire game with four of them scoring runs (1 LOB). Stockton reliever Hunter Breault was credited with the win after tossing two scoreless innings over the fifth and sixth. Ed Baram pitched the bottom of the ninth for his third save of the year. Ty Weber (3 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 SO) was saddled with the loss.

Bailey Continues Surge

Patrick Bailey (2-for-4, HR, 2 RBI) had half of the Giants' four hits on Tuesday. Bailey is batting .429 (27-for-63) with six home runs over his last 16 games.

Versus The Ports

The Giants fell to 15-10 against Stockton this season, including a 3-4 mark at Excite Ballpark.

Roster Moves

Catcher Fabian Pena was transferred to High-A Eugene before the game on Tuesday. Relief pitcher Jesus Tona was transferred to Triple-A Sacramento during the off day on Monday. The Giants 30-man roster now stands at 27 players.

On Deck

The Giants and Ports continue their six-game series on Wednesday afternoon with first pitch at Excite Ballpark set for 1:00 PM. Kyle Harrison is San Jose's scheduled starting pitcher.

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