Giants Escape With 11-Inning Victory To Open Visalia Series
Published on June 7, 2023 under California League (CalL)
San Jose Giants News Release
The San Jose Giants opened their series in Visalia on Tuesday night with a 9-7, 11-inning victory over the Rawhide at Valley Strong Ballpark. In the first meeting of the season between the two clubs, Visalia rallied from a pair of late deficits to force extras before San Jose's two runs in the top of the 11th ultimately carried the Giants to the win. San Jose improved to 33-19 and maintained their seven-game lead in the first half North Division race.
Onil Perez (3-for-6, 3 RBI, 2 SB) and Anthony Rodriguez (3-for-6, 2 RBI) had three hits and multiple RBI's apiece to lead the way offensively. Matt Higgins (2-for-5, 2B, SB) also had a multi-hit game while Zach Morgan (1-for-5, HR, RBI) smacked his fourth home run of the season. The Giants established a new season-high with seven stolen bases and overcame four Visalia home runs. The Rawhide finished the game 0-for-16 with runners in scoring position.
San Jose jumped out early 1-0 on a Perez RBI groundout in the top of the first before Visalia homered twice off of Giants starter Reggie Crawford in the first two innings. Christian Creda connected for a two-run home run in the bottom of the first before Gavin Conticello's solo shot in the second gave the Rawhide a 3-1 lead. Crawford pitched 1 2/3 innings in his start with three runs (all earned) and three hits allowed. He walked none and struck out four.
San Jose though would immediately tie the game with a two-run top of the third. Andrew Kachel started the rally with a one-out walk before Higgins singled. Perez then brought home Kachel with an RBI single before Higgins later scored on a wild pitch to draw the Giants even at 3-3.
San Jose then reclaimed the lead with a two-run top of the fifth. Higgins led off with a double before a Perez single put runners on the corners. Perez then stole second with both runners coming home on Rodriguez's single to left as the Giants moved back in front by a 5-3 margin. San Jose would then add another run in the sixth on Morgan's solo homer to left for a 6-3 advantage.
Meanwhile, Luis Moreno worked 1 1/3 scoreless innings following Crawford before Hayden Birdsong fired four strong innings with no runs allowed in a long relief outing. Birdsong surrendered only three hits, walked one and struck out five. He threw 40 of his 57 pitches for strikeouts.
With the score still at 6-3, Dylan Cumming entered from the bullpen to begin the bottom of the eighth, but would give up a pair of homers as Visalia tied the game. With one out, Julio Carrion hit a solo home run to cut the San Jose lead to 6-4. Then with two outs and a runner at first base, Johan Benitez stepped to the plate and hit a game-tying two-run home run to left as the Rawhide pulled even at 6-6.
The game continued to go back-and-forth when both teams scored once in the ninth. In the top of the inning, Turner Hill reached on an error to start the frame before Higgins was hit by a pitch with one out. Following a double steal, Perez singled home Hill to give the Giants back the lead at 7-6. Visalia, however, answered against Cumming in the bottom of the ninth as Anderdson Rojas reached on a one-out error, moved to third on Kristian Robinson's single and scored the tying run when Creda hit a sacrifice fly.
Neither team was able to take advantage of their free runner at second base in the 10th with Julio Rodriguez holding off the Rawhide in the bottom of the inning to keep the game going. San Jose then took the lead for good with their two-run top of the 11th. With Hill as the automatic runner at second, Kachel began the inning by drawing a walk. After Higgins popped out, Perez grounded into a fielder's choice to shortstop with Kachel forced out at second. On the play though, the second baseman Juan Corniel made a wild throw to first for an error allowing Hill to score the go-ahead run. Then after a walk to Tanner O'Tremba to put runners on first and second, Rodriguez delivered a clutch two-out RBI single plating Perez for a 9-7 advantage.
Rodriguez then slammed the door in the bottom of the 11th with the automatic runner at second registering back-to-back strikeouts before a pop out to shortstop ended the game. Rodriguez (2-1) earned the win with his two hitless innings over the 10th and 11th. He struck out three. Giants pitching finished the game with 15 strikeouts.
San Jose improved to 4-2 in extra-inning games this season. With Fresno and Modesto also winning on Tuesday, the Giants are still seven games ahead of both clubs in the first half North Division standings. 14 games remain in the first half.
The Giants play the second game of their six-game series in Visalia on Wednesday evening at Valley Strong Ballpark. First pitch is set for 7:00 PM. Jack Choate is San Jose's scheduled starting pitcher.
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