CalL1 San Jose Giants

Giants Hold off Modesto to Win Series

Published on July 14, 2012 under California League (CalL1)
San Jose Giants News Release


MODESTO - Dan Burkhart hit a tiebreaking RBI single in the top of the ninth inning and the San Jose Giants withstood several late Modesto rallies to earn a 5-4 victory over the Nuts on Friday evening at John Thurman Field. In the rubber game of the three-game series, Modesto came back twice to tie the score in the seventh and eighth innings, but could never take the lead before Burkhart's hit in the top of the ninth put the Giants in front for good.

San Francisco Giant Aubrey Huff (2-for-3, 2B, RBI) along with Carter Jurica (2-for-4, 2B) and Alex Burg (2-for-4, 2B) had two hits apiece to lead San Jose offensively. Joe Panik (1-for-4, HR, RBI) added a solo homer while Burkhart (1-for-4, 2 RBI) also collected a pair of RBI's.

Jose Valdez (5-4) earned the win out of the Giants bullpen with 1 2/3 scoreless innings to finish the game. Valdez allowed an inherited runner to score in the bottom of the eighth as Modesto tied the game, but the right-hander struck out the next two batters with the bases loaded to end the inning. Valdez then pitched around a leadoff single and a two-out walk in the bottom of the ninth to seal the victory.

San Jose took a 3-1 lead into the bottom of the seventh before the Nuts scored twice in the frame to draw even. Phil McCormick (2/3 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 1 SO) started the inning by retiring the first two batters before consecutive singles from Helder Velazquez and Delta Cleary, Jr. put the tying run on base. Drew Bowlin (1/3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 SO) was then summoned into pitch, but he promptly allowed a double to deep right center off the bat of Kyle Parker as both runners scored to tie the game 3-3. Bowlin then walked Brett Tanos, but recovered to strikeout the next hitter, Jared Clark, to end the inning.

The Giants reclaimed the lead in the top of the eighth on a squeeze bunt play. Jurica led off with a single before he was forced out at second base on Panik's fielder's choice grounder. Huff followed with a single up the middle to advance Panik to third and after a pitching change brought Kurt Yacko into the game, Adam Duvall perfectly executed a suicide-squeeze bunt. On the play, Duvall was thrown at first by Yacko, however Panik scored to give San Jose a 4-3 lead.

Modesto though responded with a run of their own in the bottom of the eighth. Stephen Harrold (1/3 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 0 SO) began the inning by issuing a walk to Mark Tracy. Jayson Langfels followed with a sacrifice bunt to advance pinch-runner Juan Crousset to second and then consecutive walks to Dustin Garneau and Rafael Ortega loaded the bases. Valdez relieved Harrold, but the new pitcher plunked Velazquez to force home Crousset with the tying run. However, Valdez settled down to strikeout Cleary, Jr. on a 1-2 pitch before Parker went down swinging on a 2-2 offering to finish the inning and keep the game tied.

In the top of the ninth, Burg led off with a single to left before he moved to second on Jarrett Parker's sacrifice bunt. Burkhart was up next and the Giants catcher lined a single into right to score Burg with the go-ahead tally.

Valdez returned to the mound in the bottom of the ninth and surrendered a leadoff single to Tanos, but Clark followed by grounding into a 4-6-3 double play. After Crousset walked on a full-count pitch to again put the potential tying run on base, Valdez struck out Langfels to end the game.

Valdez struck out three and allowed one hit with one walk during his stint on the mound.

Yacko (6-3) was charged with the loss after yielding the game-deciding run in the top of the ninth.

San Jose initially jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning when Jurica began the game with a double and then scored two batters later on Huff's line drive double into the left field corner.

Jack Snodgrass started on the mound for the Giants and held the Nuts off the scoreboard over the first two innings before Modesto broke through in the third. A leadoff walk to Langfels was followed by back- to-back singles from Drew Beuerlein and Ortega to load the bases. Velazquez then blooped a single into shallow left center to bring home Langfels and keep the bases loaded. Snodgrass though prevented the Nuts from taking the lead when he induced the next batter, Cleary, Jr. to hit into a 5-2-3 double play as Beuerlein was forced out at the plate before Parker grounded out back to the mound.

The game remained 1-1 until Panik stepped to the plate with one out in the top of the sixth and crushed a solo home run to deep right. The homer was Panik's fifth of the season.

Snodgrass pitched around leadoff singles in the fourth and fifth innings before running into trouble in the sixth. With San Jose ahead by a run, Snodgrass issued consecutive walks to Cleary, Jr. and Parker to start the inning before Clark walked with one out to load the bases. Reliever Chris Wilson (2/3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO) though was able to pitch out of the jam as he registered back-to-back swinging strikeouts of the next two hitters, Tracy and Langfels, to end the inning.

Snodgrass worked 5 1/3 innings with one run and six hits allowed. The left-hander, who induced three double plays, walked a career-high five and struck out three.

The Giants extended their lead to 3-1 in the top of the seventh when Burg led off with a double, advanced to third on Parker's bunt single and then scored when Burkhart grounded into a fielder's choice.

Notes: Modesto out-hit San Jose by a 10-9 margin ... The Nuts left 13 runners on base, including nine over the last four innings, and hit into four double plays ... Giants pitchers combined for 10 walks and 10 strikeouts ... The teams combined for 10 pitchers used (San Jose - 6, Modesto - 4) ... Huff is 3-for-11 (.273) with a double and a home run in four games with San Jose on his rehabilitation assignment ... The Giants are 7-0 in one-run games against the Nuts this season.

On Deck: The Giants return home on Saturday evening to begin a three- game series against the Visalia Rawhide. First pitch at Municipal Stadium is scheduled for 5:00 PM. Seth Rosin (2-1, 4.18 ERA) is slated to start on the mound for San Jose while Visalia is expected to counter with Taylor Siemens (1-2, 4.18 ERA). It's a Mix 106.5 Saturday in the Park and tickets can be purchased by calling (408) 297-1435 or by visiting sjgiants.com.

Check out the San Jose Giants Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



California League Stories from July 14, 2012


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central