Giants Top Ports Behind Forjet's Gem
July 31, 2015 - California League (CalL1)
San Jose Giants News Release
SAN JOSE, CA - Jason Forjet fired seven shutout innings in a 4-1 San Jose Giants victory over the Stockton Ports on Thursday evening at Municipal Stadium. San Jose scored twice in the bottom of the first to take an early 2-0 lead and never looked back en route to claiming the opener of the four-game series. The win was the Giants' (51-52) seventh in a row at home.
Forjet (4-3) limited the Ports to five hits - all singles - with one walk and a season-high tying seven strikeouts to pick-up the win. The right-hander, who matched the longest start of his professional career, threw 103 pitches. Jake Smith pitched a scoreless top of the ninth working around a pair of singles to notch his seventh save of the year.
Angel Villalona (1-for-4, HR, RBI) smacked a solo home run while Daniel Carbonell (2-for-4, RBI, SB) produced a pair of singles and an RBI to lead San Jose offensively.
The Giants jumped out early against Ports starting pitcher Matt Stalcup. Jeff Kobernus began the bottom of the first with an infield single and then moved all the way to third after a wild pick-off throw from the pitcher. Moments later, Christian Arroyo hit a sacrifice fly to right plating Kobernus with the first run of the game. Then with two outs, Villalona launched a towering solo home run to left for a 2-0 advantage. The home run was Villalona's eighth of the season.
The only baserunner against Forjet over the first three innings was a bloop single into shallow left off the bat of Trent Gilbert with one out in the top of the second. In the fourth, Forjet issued a leadoff walk to Brett Vertigan, but quickly retired the next three hitters to keep the score at 2-0.
The Ports threatened in the top of the fifth as B.J. Boyd and Yairo Munoz produced back-to-back singles to start the frame. Forjet though recovered striking out Branden Cogswell and then inducing consecutive groundouts from the next two hitters, Santiago Chavez and rehabbing Oakland A's outfielder Coco Crisp, to end the inning.
After Forjet breezed through a 1-2-3 top of the sixth, the Giants added to their lead with a run in the bottom of the frame. Stalcup had retired 12 straight San Jose hitters until Carbonell singled up the middle with one out. With two down, Brandon Bednar doubled to left to put runners at second and third and then with Seth Harrison at the plate, Stalcup uncorked a wild pitch allowing Carbonell to score for a 3-0 cushion.
Forjet returned to the mound in the top of the seventh and surrendered one-out singles again to Boyd and Munoz as Stockton brought the tying run to the plate. However, Cogswell followed by striking out and then Chavez lined out softly to shortstop to finish the inning and end Forjet's night.
Ian Gardeck (1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 SO) entered from the bullpen to begin the top of the eighth and issued a leadoff walk to Crisp and a two-out walk to Matt Chapman before Gilbert grounded an RBI single into right to bring the Ports to within 3-1. Gardeck though settled down retiring the next hitter, Boyd, on a groundout to shortstop to preserve the two-run lead.
The Giants then got the run back in the bottom of the eighth as Arroyo doubled down the right field line with one out and scored when the next hitter, Carbonell, blooped a single into shallow right.
In the top of the ninth, with San Jose leading by a 4-1 margin, Smith struck out Munoz to start the inning before Cogswell singled. After Chavez struck out, Crisp singled up the middle to extend the game, but with the tying run at the plate, Smith retired Vertigan on a groundout to shortstop sealing the Giants victory.
Stalcup (1-2) suffered the loss despite matching a career-high with eight strikeouts. The left-hander was charged with there runs (all earned) on four hits over six innings. He walked one.
Notes:
* The Giants are 17-5 in their last 22 games.
* San Jose has won 11 out of their last 12 at home.
* Forjet lowered his ERA to 3.18.
* The Ports out-hit the Giants 8-6. Stockton was 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position and left 10 on base.
* Villalona has hit eight home runs in 32 games with San Jose this season.
* Bednar (1-for-3, 2B) extended his hitting streak to nine games.
* The Giants have won their last 16 games in which they've scored first.
* San Jose improved to 21-12 in the second half and moved to within two games of Modesto (23-10) for the top spot in the North Division.
On Deck: The Giants and Ports continue their four-game series on Friday evening with first pitch at Municipal Stadium scheduled for 7:00 PM. Jake Dunning (0-0, --- ERA) is slated to start on the mound for San Jose while Stockton is expected to counter with Daniel Mengden (3-1, 4.94 ERA). It's a KRTY Family Friday at the ballpark and a spectacular fireworks show will follow the game. For tickets, call (408) 297-1435 or visit sjgiants.com.
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