Giants Erupt Late For 11-7 Victory In Series Finale
Published on April 23, 2023 under California League (CalL)
San Jose Giants News Release
Carter Howell and Thomas Gavello hit back-to-back home runs to jumpstart a key five-run rally in the bottom of the eighth inning in the Giants' come-from-behind 11-7 victory over the Inland Empire 66ers on Sunday afternoon at Excite Ballpark. San Jose pounded out 15 hits and scored 11 times over their final four innings as the Giants overcame a five-run deficit for a second straight day. With the win, San Jose (10-5) took five out of six games from Inland Empire during the series this week.
Jose Ramos (2-for-4, 2B, 3 RBI) knocked in three runs on Sunday, including a key two-RBI double during the Giants' seventh-inning rally. Howell (3-for-5, HR, 2 RBI, SB), Matt Higgins (3-for-5, 2B) and Diego Velasquez (3-for-5, 2B, 2 RBI) also contributed three hits apiece for San Jose. The Giants scored a total of 26 runs over the final two games of the series versus the 66ers.
On Saturday, it was San Jose rallying from a 6-1 deficit to earn a 15-6 win. A day later, the Giants trailed by a 5-0 margin before once again coming back to win.
Inland Empire pushed across four runs against San Jose starter Manuel Mercedes in the top of the first inning on Sunday to jump out to a 4-0 lead. All of the runs scored in the inning with two outs as Johan Macias produced an RBI double before Denzer Guzman's two-run double and then Jadiel Sanchez's RBI single. The Sixers added another run off of Mercedes in the top of the fourth as an error preceded a Jorge Ruiz two-out RBI single to make it 5-0.
Meanwhile, the Giants managed only one hit over the first four innings before breaking through in the bottom of the fifth. With the score still at 5-0, the rally began with a walk to Andrew Kachel before Edison Mora was hit by a pitch. After both runners advanced on Tanner O'Tremba's fly out to center, Howell knocked in San Jose's first run with a single. Gavello followed with an RBI groundout as Mora came home to bring the Giants within 5-2.
An inning later, San Jose loaded the bases with none out as Higgins singled, Ramos walked and Velasquez singled. After Kachel struck out, Mora worked a five-pitch walk to force home Higgins cutting the deficit to 5-3. The Giants would get no closer in the inning, however, as O'Tremba and Howell both struck out as the bases were left loaded.
The comeback effort continued though in the bottom of the seventh. Gavello led off with an infield single before Higgins singled with one out to put the potential tying run on base. Ramos then doubled to deep left center field scoring both Gavello and Higgins to tie the game 5-5. Two pitches later, Velasquez lined a double into the left field corner to easily score Ramos giving San Jose their first lead of the day at 6-5.
Piggyback reliever John Michael Bertrand had relieved Mercedes to begin the top of fifth and began his outing with three hitless innings. Bertrand returned to the mound in the top of the eighth with a one-run lead, but would immediately run into trouble as Macias led off with a double to left. After Guzman grounded out, Sanchez singled putting runners on the corners. Kevin Watson was up next for Inland Empire and he hit a high chopper over the head of the third baseman Mora and down the left field line. The single scored Macias to tie the game 6-6 while Sanchez, the possible go-ahead run, advanced all the way to third. Bertrand though would escape without further damage as he retired Ronaldo Flores on a slow grounder back to the mound and then set down Nelson Rada on a fly out to left ending the inning.
The Giants then kept the pressure on with a five-run bottom of the eighth to take control of the game. With one out, Howell stepped to the plate and hit a line drive solo home run into the 66ers bullpen down the left field line giving San Jose back the lead at 7-6. It was Howell's first career home run as a professional.
Gavello was up next and he launched a towering home run to deep center pushing the lead to 8-6. It marked the first time this season that the Giants hit back-to-back home runs as the lead grew to 8-6. The round-tripper was Gavello's second home run of the season.
The rally then continued as Zach Morgan singled before Higgins doubled to put runners on second and third. Ramos followed with a bloop single down the right field line that scored Morgan for a 9-6 advantage. Higgins advanced to third on the hit while Ramos got caught in a rundown between first and second after rounding the base too far. However during the rundown, Higgins broke for home and beat the throw from the shortstop Guzman to score a second run of the play as the lead was extended to 10-6.
Moments later, Velasquez grounded a single through the hole on the right side plating Ramos for an 11-6 cushion. After Kachel's single, the Giants had a streak of seven consecutive hits during their eighth-inning rally.
Hayden Wynja closed it out on the mound for San Jose by pitching the top of the ninth. Ben Gobbel hit a one-out solo home run to make the score 11-7, but Wynja recovered to retire Matt Coutney on a groundout before striking out Macias to end the game.
Bertrand (2-0) was credited with the win after tossing four innings out of the bullpen with only one run allowed. The left-hander gave up three hits, walked one and struck out two.
The Giants have now won six out of their last seven games and 10 of their last 13 overall.
Following an off day, the Giants head back out on the road for a six-game series at Fresno. Tuesday's series opener against the Grizzlies at Chukchansi Park is an 11:05 AM first pitch. The entire series can be heard live on sjgiants.com. San Jose returns to Excite Ballpark on Tuesday, May 2 to begin a 12-game homestand against the Modesto Nuts and Lake Elsinore Storm.
California League Stories from April 23, 2023
- Rancho Cucamonga Downs Fresno, 5-3 - Fresno Grizzlies
- Strong Pitching Helps Ports Snap Skid - Stockton Ports
- Rawhide Snap Win Streak in 5-3 Loss in Stockton - Visalia Rawhide
- Ports' Miscues Costly in 7-2 Loss - Stockton Ports
- Lake Elsinore Storm Win After Samuel Zavala's First Home Run - Lake Elsinore Storm
- Quakes Take Series, Win Sunday Afternoon - Rancho Cucamonga Quakes
- Giants Erupt Late For 11-7 Victory In Series Finale - San Jose Giants
- Fresno Grizzlies Game Notes at Rancho Cucamonga - Fresno Grizzlies
- Giants Score 14 Unanswered Runs In Rout Of Sixers - San Jose Giants
- Ports' Miscues Costly in 7-2 Loss - Stockton Ports
- Quakes Back on Track, Down Grizzlies - Rancho Cucamonga Quakes
- Rawhide Extend Win Streak to Six - Visalia Rawhide
- Early Deficit Too Much for Fresno in 7-3 Setback to Rancho Cucamonga - Fresno Grizzlies
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