Giants Hold off Blaze to Win Series
Published on August 4, 2016 under California League (CalL1)
San Jose Giants News Release
BAKERSFIELD, CA - The San Jose Giants earned their first road series win since May with a 6-4 victory over the Bakersfield Blaze on Wednesday evening at Sam Lynn Ballpark. San Jose took the lead for good with a run in the top of the seventh and then held off Bakersfield late to secure the win. With the victory, the Giants (57-53) claimed two out of three games in the series.
Dylan Davis (3-for-5) had three hits while Cristian Paulino (2-for-4, 2 2B) doubled twice to lead San Jose offensively. Rene Melendez (1-for-4, 2 RBI) added a key two-run single. All nine Giants players in the lineup finished the game with at least one hit.
Jordan Johnson (7-8) earned the win after tossing the first six innings with three runs (all earned) allowed. The right-hander surrendered seven hits, walked four and struck out five. Jeff Soptic (1 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 SO) then escaped a bases loaded jam in the bottom of the seventh to maintain a one-run San Jose lead before Pat Young (2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 SO) notched a two-inning save.
The Giants and Blaze battled to a 3-3 tie through six innings before San Jose took the lead in the top of the seventh. Facing Bakersfield reliever Ramon Morla, the seventh-inning rally began with a two-out single from Rando Moreno. Davis followed with a single to put runners on first and second. Jonah Arenado was up next and during his at-bat, Morla bounced a pitch in the dirt. Moreno advanced to third on the wild pitch and then scored the go-ahead run when Blaze catcher Tyler Marlette threw the ball down the left field line for an error.
Soptic relieved Johnson to begin the bottom of the seventh and ran into trouble with two outs as Marlette and Jay Baum produced back-to-back singles. Joe DeCarlo then walked to load the bases. Soptic though settled down and induced Aaron Barbosa to groundout to third on a 3-2 pitch ending the inning.
The Giants then scored twice in the top of the eighth to extend their lead to 6-3. Mitch Delfino struck out to start the frame, but reached base safely on a wild pitch. Two batters later, T.J. Bennett laced a one-out double into the left center field gap advancing Delfino to third. Melendez then stepped to the plate and grounded a single into right scoring both runners for a 6-3 advantage.
Young entered from the bullpen in the bottom of the eighth and issued a leadoff walk to Austin Wilson, but quickly got out of the inning when Jordan Cowan lined into a double play and Drew Jackson grounded out.
With the score still 6-3, Young returned to the mound in the bottom of the ninth. Gianfranco Wawoe led off with an infield single to deep short and advanced to second on the play when Moreno threw wildly to first for an error. Chantz Mack then bounced a single into right plating Wawoe to trim the San Jose lead to 6-4. However with the potential tying run at the plate, Young registered consecutive three-pitch strikeouts of Marlette and Baum and then retired DeCarlo on a fly out to center sealing the Giants victory.
Morla (1-3) suffered the loss out of the Bakersfield bullpen after yielding the go-ahead run in the top of the seventh.
The game began as a back-and-forth affair. In the top of the first, three straight two-out singles from Davis, Arenado and Delfino produced a run giving San Jose an early 1-0 lead. The Blaze though answered in the bottom of the first against Johnson as two singles and a walk loaded the bases with two outs before DeCarlo delivered a two-run single for a 2-1 Bakersfield advantage.
The Giants tied the game in the top of the third as Davis singled with two outs and immediately scored when the next batter, Arenado, clubbed a double off the right field fence. However, the Blaze came right back in the bottom of the inning as Marlette walked with one out and scored on Baum's double to make it 3-2 Bakersfield.
San Jose drew even again scoring once in the top of the fifth. Paulino led off with a double down the left field line and moved to third on Ronnie Jebavy's single. Moreno followed with a game-tying sacrifice fly.
Johnson settled down after his early struggles to keep the Blaze off the scoreboard over the fourth, fifth and sixth innings. The Giants starter worked a 1-2-3 bottom of the fourth before pitching around a leadoff walk in the fifth. In the sixth, with the game still tied, DeCarlo led off with a double before a Barbosa bunt single put runners on the corners with none out. Johnson though kept the game deadlocked as he struck out both Wilson and Cowan and retired Jackson a groundout to set the stage for San Jose's go-ahead rally the next inning.
Notes - * San Jose posted a 3-4 record on their seven-game road trip. * Prior to taking two out of three from Bakersfield, the Giants' last road series win was from May 20-23 at Rancho Cucamonga (won three of four). San Jose is 7-15 on the road in the second half. * The Giants out-hit the Blaze 13-12 on Wednesday. San Jose pounded out 30 hits over the final two games of the series. * Arenado (2-for-5, 2B, RBI) also finished with a multi-hit game. The double was his team-leading 30th double of the season. Arenado becomes the first Giants player since Devin Harris in 2013 (40 2B) to hit 30 doubles in a season. * Johnson won for just the second time in his last 11 starts (2-6). * Bennett (1-for-3, 2B) extended his hitting streak to eight games. * San Jose improved to 5-1 at Sam Lynn Ballpark this year. * Young's save was his second of the season. He entered 2016 without a save in his career. * The Giants (18-22) moved to within five games of Bakersfield (23-17) in the second half North Division race.
On Deck: The Giants return to Municipal Stadium on Thursday evening to begin a four-game series against the Stockton Ports. First pitch is scheduled for 7:00 PM. Jose Reyes (3-3, 4.14 ERA) is slated to start on the mound for San Jose while Stockton is expected to counter Casey Meisner (0-12, 4.34 ERA). It's a KFOX 98.5 Classic Rock Thursday at the ballpark. Tickets can be purchased by calling (408) 297-1435 or by visiting sjgiants.com.
California League Stories from August 4, 2016
- Blaze Stumble as Giants Pounce on Opportunities - Bakersfield Blaze
- Giants Hold off Blaze to Win Series - San Jose Giants
- Mavs Trounce 66ers, Avoid Sweep - Inland Empire 66ers
- Ports Fall in 10-6 Home Run Derby - Stockton Ports
- Hoelscher Walks the Walk in 5-4 Win - Modesto Nuts
- Offense Breaks out in Win over Stockton - Rancho Cucamonga Quakes
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