Giants Pitching Shines In 4-1 Victory
Published on April 30, 2023 under California League (CalL)
San Jose Giants News Release
The San Jose Giants took a no-hit bid into the seventh inning on Saturday night in a 4-1 victory over the Fresno Grizzlies at Chukchansi Park. Manuel Mercedes fired four hitless innings in his start before John Michael Bertrand excelled in long relief and Tyler Vogel closed it out as the Giants (12-8) earned their second straight win in the series.
Edison Mora (2-for-4, 2 2B) doubled twice while Carter Howell (2-for-4, RBI, SB), Vaun Brown (2-for-5, SB) and Onil Perez (2-for-4) also produced multi-hit games for San Jose offensively.
The Giants built a 4-0 lead in the contest with two runs in both the first and fourth innings. Howell started the game with a single before Brown, a 2022 San Jose standout who was playing in the first game of a minor league rehab assignment as he returns from injury, also singled. After Matt Higgins struck out, the Giants successful executed a double steal with Howell swiping third and Brown moving into second. A strikeout of Perez followed, but then Tanner O'Tremba singled into center plating both runners giving the Giants an early 2-0 advantage.
San Jose added to their lead in the top of the fourth as back-to-back one-out doubles from Mora and Garrett Frechette produced a run to make it 3-0. Then with two down, Howell singled home Frechette to push the advantage to 4-0.
The four runs for the Giants on Saturday would prove to be more than enough thanks to the outstanding work from the trio of hurlers. Mercedes retired 10 out of the 12 batters he faced during his four no-hit innings. The right-hander didn't record a strikeout, but managed to pitch around two walks and induced six groundouts.
Bertrand, San Jose's piggyback reliever, entered to begin the bottom of the fifth and set down the first eight hitters he faced until issuing a two-out walk to Ryan Ritter in the seventh. Jesus Bugarin followed with a single to right for Fresno's first hit of the game before Cole Stilwell's single brought home Ritter to pull the Grizzlies within 4-1. Bertrand though limited the damage in the frame when he induced the next hitter, Jake Snider, to ground out.
Bertrand then pitched around a leadoff single in a scoreless bottom of the eighth maintaining the three-run lead. In the bottom of the ninth, Vogel plunked Ritter with one out, but recovered to set down Bugarin on a groundout before Stilwell struck out to end the game.
Bertrand (3-0) was credited with the win after limiting Fresno to one run over his four innings of long relief. The left-hander gave up three hits, walked one and struck out two. Vogel earned his second save of the year with his scoreless bottom of the ninth. The Giants out-hit the Grizzlies 11-3.
The Giants will look to split the six-game set in Fresno when the teams conclude their series on Sunday afternoon. First pitch at Chukchansi Park is scheduled for 1:05 PM. Liam Simon is slated to start on the mound for San Jose. The game can be heard live on sjgiants.com.
California League Stories from April 30, 2023
- Quakes Complete Sweep of 66ers on Sunday - Rancho Cucamonga Quakes
- Fresno falls 11-4 to San Jose despite solo shots from Stilwell and Ritter - Fresno Grizzlies
- Fresno Grizzlies Game Notes vs San Jose - Fresno Grizzlies
- Giants Pitching Shines In 4-1 Victory - San Jose Giants
- Ports Toppled by Cardiac Nuts, Drop Fifth Straight - Stockton Ports
- Quakes Make It Seven Straight - Rancho Cucamonga Quakes
- Storm Shut Out Rawhide 9-0 - Visalia Rawhide
- Bullpen Impresses In Grizzlies' 4-1 Loss To Giants - Fresno Grizzlies
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