CalL1 San Jose Giants

Giants Score Nine Unanswered Runs To Win 11-8

Published on August 25, 2008 under California League (CalL1)
San Jose Giants News Release


The San Jose Giants scored nine times over the fourth and fifth innings to overcome a six-run deficit and defeat the High Desert Mavericks 11-8 on Sunday evening at Municipal Stadium. Jackson Williams delivered a key three-run homer to spark the fourth-inning rally before Bobby Felmy tripled home three runs in the bottom of the fifth to give the Giants the lead. With the victory, San Jose improves their second half record to 38-25 - 5 1/2 games ahead of the Modesto Nuts (32-30) for the top spot in the North Division. Only seven games remain in the regular season.

Felmy (2-for-5, 3B, 4 RBI) and Williams (2-for-3, HR, 3 RBI) led a 10-hit Giants offensive attack. San Jose also was a perfect 7-for-7 in stolen base attempts, with the six of swiped bags coming during the fourth and fifth inning rallies.

Steve Edlefsen (7-4), who entered the game to begin the top of the sixth, fired three perfect innings of relief to earn the victory. Edlefsen struck out a whopping seven batters before Dan Otero (1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 SO) earned his 14th save with a 1-2-3 ninth inning.

With the Giants trailing by an 8-2 margin, High Desert starting pitcher Travis Mortimore quickly set down the first two hitters of the bottom of the fourth. Andy D'Alessio then doubled to the fence in left field before Sharlon Schoop drew a walk. Williams was up next and he blasted the first pitch of his at-bat over the wall in left for a three-run homer. The home run, Williams' third with San Jose, brought the Giants to within 8-5.

Darren Ford followed and he drew a walk before successfully stealing both second and third base. Felmy then brought Ford home with a line drive single into center field.

In the bottom of the fifth, Mavericks reliever Mike Wagner surrendered a leadoff single to Brad Boyer. Matt Downs followed by chopping a ground ball to shortstop that Carlos Triunfel fielded cleanly, but his throw to second base was dropped by Ogui Diaz for an error allowing the Giants to put runners on first and second. After a wild pitch moved Boyer to third and Downs to second, Brett Pill grounded out to shortstop bringing home the first run of the inning.

Downs, who had to hold at second base on the RBI groundout, then immediately stole third. After D'Alessio drew a walk and Schoop struck out swinging, San Jose perfectly executed a double steal as Downs swiped home when D'Alessio stole second. The play brought the Giants even at 8-8.

Consecutive walks to the next two hitters, Williams and Ford, loaded the bases and prompted a pitching change as Austin Bibens-Dirkx was summoned from the bullpen. Felmy was up next and he lofted a 1-1 pitch down the left field line that just eluded the diving Kevin Reynolds and rolled toward the corner. The play scored all three runners as Felmy slid into third safely with a triple.

After taking their first lead of the contest, Edlefsen and Otero combined to retire 12 consecutive High Desert hitters to finish the game.

The Mavericks plated five runs against Giants starter Waldis Joaquin to take a 5-1 lead through 2 1/2 innings. In the top of the first, Travis Scott delivered a two-out, two-run double to the gap in deep right center field. Then in the third, a Boyer fielding error at second base started a three-run rally. Back-to-back singles from the next two hitters, Triunfel and Ronnie Prettyman, produced one run. Then after a one-out walk to Scott loaded the bases, Joaquin was removed from the game in favor of Daniel Turpen. Turpen induced the first hitter he faced, Geraldo Valentin, to fly out to center field, but the play scored Triunfel from third. Reynolds followed with an RBI single to cap the third-inning scoring.

San Jose got one of the runs back in the bottom of the third with Ford led off with an infield single, stole second base, advanced to third on Felmy's fly out and scored on a sacrifice bunt from Tyler Graham.

High Desert though struck for three more runs against Turpen in the top of the fourth inning. Gavin Dickey led off by drawing a walk before Jamie McOwen singled. The duo executed a double steal before Dickey scored when he beat out a throw home from Boyer when Prettyman grounded a ball to second base. Chris Minaker followed with an RBI single to plate McOwen and then Scott came through with a sacrifice fly to push across the Mavericks' eighth run of the evening.

Craig Whitaker (1 1/3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 0 SO) recorded the final out of the fourth inning before working a scoreless top of the fifth.

The Giants scored their first run of the night when Graham tripled with one out in the bottom of the first and then came home on Boyer's ground out to second base.

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California League Stories from August 25, 2008


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