CalL San Jose Giants

Giants Victorious In Return Home, Magic Number At 1

Published on June 14, 2023 under California League (CalL)
San Jose Giants News Release


The Giants reduced their magic number to one with a 2-1 victory over the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes on Tuesday night at Excite Ballpark. In the opener of a six-game series between the two first-place teams in the California League, San Jose received outstanding pitching as Jack Choate, Daniel Blair and Tyler Vogel combined to record 12 strikeouts with no walks in the narrow win. The Giants (38-20) remained seven games ahead of both Fresno and Modesto in the North Division with now only eight games left in the first half. San Jose can clinch the division crown and secure a playoff berth with a win on Wednesday afternoon against Rancho Cucamonga.

Choate worked four innings in his start surrendering only one run on four hits. The left-hander walked none and struck out six during his 62-pitch outing. Blair, who earned the win to improve his record to 5-1, fired four scoreless innings in the piggyback role. Blair yielded just two hits, walked none and struck out five in a dominant effort out of the bullpen. Vogel then breezed through a 1-2-3 top of the ninth to collect his fifth save of the year.

The Giants jumped out early with a single tally in the bottom of the first inning. Turner Hill led off with a single to center before advancing to second on Diego Velasquez's sacrifice bunt. Matt Higgins followed with a single to center moving Hill to third and then Thomas Gavello's fielder's choice groundout to first scored the run for a 1-0 San Jose lead.

Meanwhile, Choate retired eight of the first ten batters he faced over three scoreless innings before Rancho's Josue De Paula smacked a solo home run to right center leading off the top of the fourth to tie the game 1-1. Choate though would prevent further damage in the inning with a key strikeout of Luis Rodriguez to end the fourth stranding the potential tying run at second.

Blair took over on the mound to begin the top of the fifth and and went six up, six down over his first two innings to keep the game deadlocked. The Giants then went back ahead with a run in the bottom of the sixth. Hill led off with a double to left before a Velasquez single put runners on the corners. Higgins followed by grounding into a 4-6-3 double play, but Hill managed to score on the play giving San Jose a 2-1 lead.

The two runs would be enough for the Giants as Blair delivered a shutdown inning in the top of the seventh with another 1-2-3 frame. In the eighth, a single and a hit batter put runners on first and second with two outs. De Paula then lined a single to right, but right fielder P.J. Hilson threw out Kenneth Betancourt, the potential tying run, at the plate to end the inning.

Vogel then worked a perfect top of the ninth to seal the victory notching a strikeout of Rayne Doncon to end the game.

Hill (2-for-3, 2B, SB) was the only San Jose player to finish with a multi-hit game. The Quakes out-hit the Giants 6-5. The two teams combined for 16 strikeouts and only one walk. Tuesday's final game time was only one hour and 46 minutes - the fastest nine-inning game of the season for San Jose.

The Giants are now 12-3 in their last 15 games.

The Giants continue their series with Rancho Cucamonga on Wednesday afternoon with first pitch at Excite Ballpark set for 1:00 PM. Gerelmi Maldonado is San Jose's scheduled starting pitcher. A Giants win or losses from both Fresno and Modesto in their games Wednesday night would clinch the first half North Division title for San Jose.

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California League Stories from June 14, 2023


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