Giants Suffer 4-3 Loss to Stockton
June 1, 2013 - California League (CalL1)
San Jose Giants News Release
SAN JOSE - The Stockton Ports built a four-run lead and then held off San Jose in the late innings to earn a 4-3 victory over the Giants on Friday evening at Municipal Stadium. The Giants nearly came back in the contest, but left the potential tying run in scoring position in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings. The loss drops San Jose to 34-20 - two games ahead of the Visalia Rawhide (32-22) for the top spot in the first half North Division race.
Angel Villalona (2-for-4, HR, 2 RBI) hit a two-run homer while Devin Harris (2-for-4, HR, RBI) connected for a solo blast to account for the Giants' only offense in the defeat.
The Ports took an immediate 1-0 lead when Bobby Crocker started the game with a home run to left field. San Jose starter Clayton Blackburn then kept Stockton off the scoreboard in the second and third innings before Stockton extended their lead with a run in the top of the fourth. Consecutive singles from Antonio Lamas and Tony Thompson put runners on the corners with none out in the fourth inning before Dusty Robinson delivered a sacrifice fly to center.
Blackburn then pitched around a pair of walks in the top of the fifth to keep the deficit at two runs before running into trouble in the sixth. With two outs and the bases empty, Rashun Dixon doubled before Phil Pohl drew a walk. Luis Rojas was then summoned from the bullpen, but he promptly walked B.A. Vollmuth to load the bases. Crocker then stepped to the plate and lined a single into right center field to score two runs for a 4-0 advantage.
Meanwhile, Ports starter Tanner Peters began his outing with five scoreless innings. The Giants managed just four singles and didn't advance a runner past first base over the first five frames. San Jose finally broke through against Peters in the bottom of the sixth when Brock Bond walked with one out before Villlaona crushed a two-out, two-run homer to deep left center. The home run, Villalona's team-leading 13th of the season, cut the Stockton lead in half at 4-2.
Harris then led off the bottom of the seventh with a towering home run to left to bring San Jose to within 4-3. John Polonius followed the homer with a single before a sacrifice bunt from Shawn Payne moved the potential tying run into scoring position. However, Ports reliever T.J. Walz induced Chris Lofton to fly out before Bobby Haney struck out to end the inning.
In the bottom of the eighth, Bond led off by reaching on an error. Bond then advanced to second on a two-out wild pitch, but Jeff Arnold followed by grounding out to keep the score at 4-3.
Facing Stockton closer Jose Macias, Payne doubled to right with two outs in the bottom of the ninth to again put the tying run into scoring position. Lofton was up next, but he flied out to left on the first pitch of his at-bat to end the game.
Peters (6-3) picked-up his team-leading sixth win of the season after limiting the Giants to a pair of runs (both earned) on five hits in six innings. He walked one and struck out six. Macias tossed a scoreless bottom of the ninth for his fifth save of the year.
Blackburn (2-3) was saddled with the loss for San Jose. He worked 5 2/3 innings with four runs (all earned) and five hits allowed. Blackburn struck out six and matched a career-high with four walks.
Notes: The teams have split the first two games of the series ... Villalona has hit five home runs over his last six games ... His 13 homers this season are tied for second in the California League ... Rojas (1 1/3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 SO) and Jacob Dunnington (2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 SO) pitched out of the San Jose bullpen ... Dunnington was added to the Giants roster from Fresno (AAA) before the game ... San Jose out-hit Stockton by an 8-6 margin ... The Giants finished May with a 16-13 record (18-7 in April).
On Deck: The Giants and Ports continue their four-game series on Saturday evening with first pitch at Municipal Stadium scheduled for 5:00 PM. Danny Sandbrink (0-0, 9.00 ERA) is slated to start on the mound for San Jose while Stockton is expected to counter with Deyvi Jimenez (0-2, 6.48 ERA). It's a Mix 106.5 Saturday in the Park and tickets can be purchased by calling (408) 297-1435 or by visiting sjgiants.com.
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