CalL1 San Jose Giants

Giants Rally to Complete Perfect Homestand

Published on May 6, 2012 under California League (CalL1)
San Jose Giants News Release


SAN JOSE - The San Jose Giants plated three runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to come-from-behind and the defeat the Inland Empire 66ers by a 4-2 score on Sunday afternoon in front of 3,926 fans at Municipal Stadium. Chris Lofton tied the game in the eighth inning with a solo homer before pinch-runner Alex Burg scored the go-ahead tally on a two-out wild pitch. The Giants earned a sweep of the three- game series and finished their homestand with a perfect 6-0 record.

Hector Correa (1-0) picked-up the win for San Jose after tossing the last three innings of the game with one run and three hits allowed. Correa walked one and struck out three.

Lofton (1-for-4, HR, RBI) and Jarrett Parker (1-for-2, HR, RBI) both hit solo home runs to lead the Giants offensively.

San Jose entered the bottom of the eighth trailing by a 2-1 score before Lofton led off with a solo homer to deep right center field. The home run was Lofton's second of the season.

The rally continued with two outs as Ricky Oropesa drew a walk and Luke Anders lined a single to right putting runners on first and second. Burg was then sent into run for Oropesa and he advanced to third on a passed ball with Parker at the plate. Then later in the at- bat, 66ers reliever Kevin Nabors uncorked a wild pitch allowing Burg to score giving the Giants their first lead of the contest.

Parker later drew a walk, but was promptly picked-off and caught in a rundown between first and second. However on the play, Anders raced home from third with another run before Parker was tagged out to end the inning.

Correa then worked around a two-out single from Andrew Heid in the top of the ninth inning to seal the victory. Correa struck out Randal Grichuk, who was representing the potential tying run, to finish the game.

Jack Snodgrass started on the mound for the Giants and worked 5 2/3 innings with one run and seven hits allowed. The left-hander walked three and struck out four.

Inland Empire jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the third inning as Travis Witherspoon drew a leadoff walk before advancing to second on a balk. Then with one out, Grichuk reached on an infield single up the middle with Witherspoon scoring from second base on the play to put the 66ers in front.

San Jose immediately tied the score in the bottom of the inning as Parker led off with a solo home run to right. The homer was Parker's team-leading fifth of the year.

Snodgrass used a double play to keep Inland Empire off the scoreboard in the fourth before pitching around a leadoff single in the fifth. The Giants starter left the game in the top of the sixth with runners at second and third and two outs, but Chris Wilson (1/3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO) entered from the bullpen and struck out Jett Bandy to keep the score tied.

Correa relieved Wilson to start the seventh and gave up a single run as the 66ers reclaimed the lead. Witherspoon drew a one-out walk to start the rally before stealing second and then coming home on Grichuk's two-out single to left.

Lay Batista started on the mound for Inland Empire and tossed 6 1/3 innings with one run and four hits allowed. Nabors managed to strand two runners on base in the bottom of the seventh to maintain the Inland Empire lead before the Giants rallied in the eighth. Nabors (0-2) was charged with all three runs in the eighth inning to suffer the loss.

Notes: The Giants improved their home record to a league-best 15-2 ... San Jose has swept four out of their five series' at Municipal Stadium this season ... Snodgrass' streak of consecutive scoreless innings ended at 24 when the 66ers plated a run in the top of the third ... His season ERA stands at 1.29 through six starts - second-lowest in the California League ... Lofton extended his hitting streak to eight games with his eighth-inning home run ... Anders (1-for-4) and Ryan Lollis (1- for-4) also extended hitting streaks to seven games ... Lollis was playing for the first time since April 27 (upper leg injury) ... The Giants allowed just eight runs during the six-game homestand ... San Jose improved their overall record to 20-11 - three games ahead of the Bakersfield Blaze (16-13) for the top spot in the first half North Division race.

On Deck: The Giants return to action on Monday evening with the opener of a three-game series at Modesto. First pitch at John Thurman Field is scheduled for 7:05 PM. Shawn Sanford (4-2, 4.09 ERA) is slated to get the ball for San Jose while Colorado Rockies pitcher Jorge De La Rosa (0-0, 0.00 ERA) is expected to make a rehab start on the mound for the Nuts. The game can be heard live on sjgiants.com with coverage beginning at 6:35 PM.

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California League Stories from May 6, 2012


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