CalL1 San Jose Giants

Giants Outlast Quakes for Seventh Win in a Row

August 30, 2015 - California League (CalL1)
San Jose Giants News Release


RANCHO CUCAMONGA, CA - Angel Villalona hit a game-tying two-run home run in the top of the eighth before Tyler Horan's sacrifice fly in the 11th gave the Giants the lead en route to a thrilling 7-6 victory over the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes on Saturday evening at LoanMart Field. The extra-inning triumph improved San Jose to 6-0 on their current road trip and was the club's seventh win in a row overall.

Saturday's victory moved the Giants (39-23) into sole possession of first place in the second half North Division race - one game ahead of Visalia (38-24) for the top spot. San Jose (69-63) maintained their three-game lead over Modesto (66-66) in the Wild Card. Eight games remain in the regular season.

Villalona's (2-for-5, HR, 2 RBI) home run was his fourth of the road trip and 13th this season while Daniel Carbonell (3-for-5, 2 RBI) added three singles and drove home a pair of runs to lead the offensive attack. Carbonell also threw out the potential go-ahead run at the plate from left field to end the bottom of the eighth inning. Christian Arroyo (2-for-5, 2 2B) contributed two doubles in the victory and San Francisco Giants outfielder Angel Pagan finished 1-for-5 with a single in the first game of his rehabilitation assignment.

Luis Ysla (3-6) earned the win out of the Giants bullpen after tossing a scoreless bottom of the 10th to keep the game tied. Ysla stranded the potential winning run at second base. Jake Smith struck out the side in a perfect bottom of the 11th inning to collect the save.

The back-and-forth affair saw San Jose take a 4-3 lead into the bottom of the seventh before the Quakes rallied. With reliever Dan Slania (2/3 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 1 SO) on the mound, Spencer Navin connected for a one-out double to deep left center. Nate Samson then grounded a single up the middle that saw Pagan throw out Navin, who was attempting to score the tying run, at the plate. Samson advanced to second on the throw. Rancho Cucamonga though would tie the game as the next batter, Willie Calhoun, singled sharply into left with Samson racing home to knot the score at 4-4. Slania then walked Jacob Scavuzzo before Cody Bellinger stepped to the plate and lofted a fly ball into the left field corner that eluded the sliding Carbonell for a double. The hit scored both Calhoun and Scavuzzo giving the Quakes their first lead of the game at 6-4.

The Giants though immediately answered in the top of the eighth. Carbonell led off with a single before Villalona crushed an 0-1 pitch from reliever Joe Broussard over the fence in left for a game-tying two-run homer.

Ian Gardeck (2 1/3 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO) entered from the San Jose bullpen after Bellinger's go-ahead hit in the seventh and promptly got out of the inning before running into trouble in the bottom of the eighth. With the score tied 6-6, Paul Hoenecke singled with one out. After Joey Curletta flied out, a passed ball advanced Hoenecke to second. Navin followed with a sharp single into left, but Carbonell fielded the ball quickly and fired a perfect throw home to nail Hoenecke for the final out of the inning. The Giants' second outfield assist on a play at the plate kept the score tied.

San Jose went down quickly in the top of the ninth before Samson led off the bottom half with a single against Gardeck. Calhoun was up next and he hit a grounder up the middle that was stopped by a diving Arroyo at shortstop, who started a spectacular 6-4-3 double play. Gardeck then struck out Scavuzzo to send the game into extra innings.

Quakes reliever Karch Kowalczyk struck out three batters in a scoreless top of the 10th before Ysla was summoned for the Giants to begin the bottom of the inning. Bellinger led off with a single up the middle and was then sacrificed to second. Ysla then struck out Tyler Ogle on three pitches before retiring Dillon Moyer on a line out to left keeping the game tied.

San Jose then went back in front with a run in the top of the 11th. Aramis Garcia drew a leadoff walk before Brian Ragira bounced a single into left advancing pinch-runner John Polonius to third. Horan was up next and he delivered a sacrifice fly to left plating Polonius with the go-ahead tally.

In the bottom of the 11th, Smith registered three consecutive strikeouts of Curletta, Navin and Somson to seal the victory. Smith was credited with his 15th save of the season.

Kowalczyk (1-2) suffered the loss for Rancho Cucamonga after surrendering the go-ahead run in the top of the 11th.

The game also began in back-and-forth fashion as the Giants scored once in the top of the first before the Quakes tied it in the second. Pagan led off the game with a line drive single into right center and then moved to third when Arroyo blasted a double off the center field wall. Carbonell followed with a sacrifice fly to make it 1-0.

Christian Jones started on the mound for San Jose and after working a scoreless bottom of the first, allowed a run in the second. A single and a walk put two runners on base before Navin came through with a two-out RBI single.

The Giants responded with two runs in the top of the third as Arroyo doubled with two outs and immediately scored when the next batter, Carbonell, lined a single into right center. Villalona followed with another single and when the left fielder Scavuzzo bobbled the ball for an error, Carbonell sprinted home to make it 3-1.

Rancho Cucamonga cut the lead in half in the bottom of the third on a Bellinger sacrifice fly before San Jose plated a run in the fourth. Garcia started the inning with a double into the left field corner and scored to make it 4-2 on Jeff Kobernus' two-out single up the middle.

Jones had retired eight straight Quakes hitters until Calhoun lined a two-out solo homer to right in the bottom of the fifth. The home run trimmed the Giants lead to 4-3. Jones worked 4 2/3 innings in his second start of the season allowing three runs (all earned) and five hits. He walked two and struck out three.

Tyler Rogers (1 1/3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 SO) recorded the final out of the bottom of the fifth and then struck out two in a scoreless sixth inning maintaining the 4-3 lead before Rancho Cucamonga rallied in the seventh.

Notes:

* With seven victories in a row, the Giants are one win shy of matching their longest winning streak of the season (eight games, May 19-27).

* San Jose has now won eight consecutive road games. Prior to the current run, the Giants' longest road winning streak this season was three games.

* San Jose played their 22nd extra-inning game of the season (11-11 record) - tied for the lead in Minor League Baseball (Ft. Myers Miracle).

* Villalona's home run was his 36th with the San Jose Giants and moved him into a tie for fourth place on the club's all-time list (Travis Ishikawa). Villalona has hit four homers over his last six games.

* The Quakes out-hit the Giants 13-12 on Saturday.

* San Jose improved to 6-0 against Rancho Cucamonga this season.

* The Giants are in sole possession of first place in the North Division for the first time this season (first or second half).

On Deck: The Giants will look for a three-game sweep of Rancho Cucamonga and a 7-0 road trip on Sunday evening. First pitch at LoanMart Field is scheduled for 5:05 PM. Jordan Johnson (2-1, 2.28 ERA) is slated to start on the mound for San Jose while the Quakes have yet to announce a starting pitcher. The game can be heard live on sjgiants.com with coverage beginning at 4:35 PM.

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