Lancaster's Early Offense Too Much For Giants
Published on July 30, 2011 under California League (CalL1)
Lancaster JetHawks News Release
SAN JOSE - The Lancaster JetHawks scored seven runs in the top of the first inning and then held off the San Jose Giants for an 8-5 win on Friday evening at Municipal Stadium. Andy Simunic's grand slam highlighted the first-inning barrage as the JetHawks have won two out of the first three games in the series. The loss dropped San Jose's overall record to 69-35.
Gary Brown (2-for-5) and Juan Ciriaco (2-for-3, 2B) had two hits apiece while Luke Anders (1-for-5, 2 RBI) drove home a pair of runs to lead the Giants offensively. San Jose finished with nine hits, but left 11 runners on base over the last six innings during their comeback effort.
Michael Main (2-3) suffered the loss for the Giants after he was roughed up for seven runs (six earned) on four hits in just 1/3 of an inning - the shortest start for a San Jose pitcher this season. Main walked one and struck out one. Four Giants relievers combined to allow just one run over the last 8 2/3 innings.
The game began with Grant Hogue's double down the left field line before Austin Wates was hit by a pitch and Adam Bailey singled to load the bases with none out. David Flores was up next and he reached base on catcher's interference to plate Hogue with the first run of the night. J.C. Thompson then singled sharply to right plating Wates for a 2-0 advantage before Erik Castro's one-out, bases loaded walk forced home the third run of the frame. Simunic was up next and he crushed a 3-1 pitch from Main well over the fence in left field for a grand slam. The home run was Simunic's first of the season and it extended the JetHawks lead to 7-0.
Ari Ronick (2 1/3 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 SO) relieved Main after the grand slam and got out of the first inning before a scoreless top of the second. Ronick did allow a run in the third as Jonathan Meyer doubled to leadoff before Rene Garcia's two-out, RBI single.
Robby Donovan started on the mound for Lancaster and retired the first nine batters that he faced. The Giants finally broke through against Donovan in the bottom of the fourth as Brown led off with a single before Ehire Adrianza drew a walk. Jose Flores then grounded out to move the runners to second and third before Ryan Cavan's groundout plated Brown with the first San Jose run of the night. Consecutive walks to the next two hitters, Jarrett Parker and Alex Burg, loaded the bases and then Anders grounded a single into right to score two more runners. Ciriaco followed by drawing the fourth walk of the inning, but Donovan stranded the bases loaded by inducing the next hitter, Nick Liles, to groundout.
The Giants threatened in the bottom of the sixth with a pair of doubles and a walk, however Parker was thrown out at third attempting to advance on Anders' fly out to right before Liles grounded out to leave a pair of runners in scoring position.
San Jose plated a run in the bottom of the seventh as Adrianza singled with one out before Flores reached on an error. Cavan then singled to load the bases while Parker delivered a sacrifice fly to make it 8-4.
In the bottom of the eighth, the Giants again loaded the bases with one out, but once more pushed across just one run. Consecutive singles from Ciriaco, Liles and Brown put three runners on before Adrianza hit a sacrifice fly bringing San Jose to within 8-5. A walk to the next hitter, Flores, brought the potential go-ahead run to the plate, however JetHawks reliever Kirk Clark entered the game and set down Cavan on a pop out to second ending the inning.
Clark then struck out two in a 1-2-3 bottom of the ninth to seal the Lancaster win.
Donovan (3-12) picked-up his first victory in 17 starts after tossing the first five innings with three runs (all earned) and two hits allowed. He walked five and struck out two. Clark earned his 16th save of the season.
Jose Valdez (2 1/3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 SO), who entered the game with two outs in the top of the third, was dominant in relief for the Giants. Stephen Harrold (2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 SO) then held the JetHawks off the scoreboard in the sixth and seventh before Jacob Dunnington (2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO) did the same in the eighth and ninth.
California League Stories from July 30, 2011
- Touted Prospect Singleton to Join JetHawks - Lancaster JetHawks
- Lancaster's Early Offense Too Much For Giants - Lancaster JetHawks
- Nuts defeat the Blaze - Bakersfield Blaze
- Hellweg Leads 66ers to Victory - Inland Empire 66ers
- Simunic's Grand Slam Sparks 8-5 Win - Lancaster JetHawks
- Quakes Fall Game Back of Storm with 9-3 Loss - Rancho Cucamonga Quakes
- Quakes Fall Game Back of Storm with 9-3 Loss - Rancho Cucamonga Quakes
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