Giants Rally Late To Defeat Nuts, 3-1
Published on April 11, 2010 under California League (CalL1)
San Jose Giants News Release
The San Jose Giants scored twice in the top of the eighth inning to overcome a deficit before adding a run in the ninth en route to a 3-1 victory over the Modesto Nuts on Saturday evening at John Thurman Field. Josh Mazzola's two-out, infield single in the eighth inning plated the go-ahead run while four Giants pitchers combined to allow just four Modesto hits in the contest. The win, San Jose's second in a row during the series, improved the Giants' record to 2-1.
Oliver Odle (1-0) was credited with the victory out of the San Jose bullpen after firing three scoreless innings. Odle, who entered the game to begin the bottom of the fifth, retired nine out of the 10 batters that he faced. The right-hander yielded just one hit, walked none and struck out two. Ben Wilshire (1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO) pitched around a leadoff single in the bottom of the eighth to preserve the lead before Edwin Quirarte (1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO) worked the ninth to earn his first save of the year.
Ryan Lormand (2-for-3, 2B, RBI, 2 SB), Juan Perez (2-for-4, 2B) and James Simmons (2-for-4, 3B) each contributed two hits to lead the Giants offensive attack. San Jose out-hit Modesto by a 9-4 margin.
The Giants trailed by a 1-0 margin entering the top of the eighth inning before Simmons led off with a triple to the fence in deep right field. After Ehire Adrianza popped out, Lormand stepped to the plate and hammered a double down the right field line to plate Simmons with the tying run. With two outs, Lormand advanced to third on a wild pitch and then scored when Mazzola beat out a slow ground ball to shortstop for an RBI infield single.
San Jose added an insurance run in the top of the ninth as Perez started the rally with a one-out single. Charlie Culberson then grounded into a fielder's choice as Perez was forced for the second out of the inning. Culberson moved to second on a wild pick-off throw from Nuts pitcher Stephen Dodson before scoring on Wendell Fairley's single into right field.
The Giants bullpen was tremendous throughout the contest as Odle set down seven Modesto hitters in a row to end his outing and keep San Jose within one run. In the bottom of the eighth, Wilshire surrendered a leadoff single to Brian Rike, but recovered to strikeout Maikol Gonzalez before Tim Wheeler bounced into an inning-ending 3-6-1 double play.
In the bottom of the ninth, Ben Paulsen reached first base safely with one out when Quirarte's strike three pitch skipped away from catcher Johnny Monell. Scott Robinson, who represented the potential tying run, then belted a deep fly ball to right center field that was caught by a running Simmons for the second out of the inning before Field flied to right on a routine play ending the game.
Ari Ronick started on the mound for the Giants and limited the Nuts to one run on two hits over four innings. The left-hander walked a career-high four batters and struck out three during his 67-pitch performance. Modesto's only run of the night came in the bottom of the first inning when Wheeler connected for a one-out home run to deep right center field. Ronick picked-off Nuts baserunners to end the second and third frames before working out of a bases loaded jam in the fourth.
Modesto starting pitcher Rob Scahill tossed five scoreless innings with only two hits allowed, two walks and four strikeouts. Kurt Yacko then worked two innings of relief without allowing a run before losing pitcher Rex Brothers (0-1) was charged with two runs in the top of the eighth.
California League Stories from April 11, 2010
- Quakes Edged On Sunday, Lose 8-7 - Rancho Cucamonga Quakes
- Sunday's Giants-Nuts Game Suspended Due To Rain - San Jose Giants
- Blowing Dirt Leads To Suspension Of Sunday's JetHawks Game - Lancaster JetHawks
- And The Winner Is... - CalL1
- Giants Rally Late To Defeat Nuts, 3-1 - San Jose Giants
- Quakes Fall 9-5, Home Sunday at 2:05pm - Rancho Cucamonga Quakes
- Blaze Score Five in the Fourth, Beat JetHawks 8-5 - Lancaster JetHawks
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