Late Lead Slips Away in 10-Inning Loss to Stockton
Published on May 3, 2022 under California League (CalL)
San Jose Giants News Release
The San Jose Giants opened their six-game series in Stockton with a heartbreaking 9-8, 10-inning loss to the Ports on Tuesday afternoon at Banner Island Ballpark. The Giants held an 8-3 lead after 6 1/2 innings, but the Ports rallied ultimately tying the game on Kevin Richards' ninth-inning solo home run before Robert Puason's game-winning RBI double in the bottom of the 10th. The setback was San Jose's (12-10) first walk-off loss of the season.
The Giants appeared to be in control for the majority of Tuesday's contest knocking out a season-high 15 hits, including home runs from Garrett Frechette and Grant McCray. San Jose scored in six of their first seven innings before Stockton mounted their late comeback.
The Giants took an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first on Frechette's one-out RBI single. Will Bednar started on the mound for San Jose and allowed only one hit during his four-inning performance. The one hit, however, was a two-out, two-run home run off the bat of Richards in the bottom of the first that put the Ports ahead by a 2-1 margin.
The Giants though immediately answered with a run in the top of the second to tie the game. Abdiel Layer started the inning with a single and eventually scored on McCray's one-out RBI single. An inning later, Frechette led off with a towering solo home run to deep right center giving San Jose back the lead at 3-2. The 424-foot blast was Frechette's first home run of the year.
The Giants kept the pressure on with another run in the top of the fourth as Layer led off with a double into the right field corner and scored on McCray's one-out double down the left field line. A two-out rally in the top of the fifth then produced three more runs for San Jose. After the first two batters of the frame were retired, Yorlis Rodriguez and Victor Bericoto delivered back-to-back singles. A walk to Layer then loaded the bases before Rayner Santana blooped a single into shallow right center plating two runs. McCray followed with his third run-scoring hit of the day as he singled home Layer to make it 7-2.
Meanwhile, Seth Lonsway had relieved Bednar to begin the bottom of the fifth and retired the first five batters he faced before running into trouble in the sixth. Three straight two-out singles from CJ Rodriguez, Richards and Junior Perez produced a run to bring the Ports to within 7-3 before Lonsway registered a strikeout of T.J. Schofield-Sam to retire the side.
The Giants got the run right back in the top of the seventh on McCray's fourth hit - a line drive solo home run to right center. The round-tripper was McCray's team-high tying third of the year and it stretched the lead to 8-3.
Stockton would answer in the bottom of the seventh as Puason came through with a one-out RBI double after a leadoff walk to make it 8-4. Lonsway though again limited the damage as he notched consecutive strikeouts of the next two hitters, Denzel Clarke and Max Muncy, to end the inning.
After San Jose missed out on a bases loaded opportunity in the top of the eighth, the Ports pushed across three runs in the bottom of the inning to trim the Giants lead to 8-7. With Lonsway still on the mound, Rodriguez drew a leadoff walk before Richards doubled to deep right put runners on second and third. A Perez RBI groundout followed to bring home the first run of the inning. Schofield-Sam then smacked a double to the fence in left center plating Richards to make it 8-6 and end Lonsway's day. Jose Cruz was summoned from the bullpen, but he walked Danny Bautista and then plunked Nick Brueser to load the bases. After Puason popped out for the second out, Cruz issued a four-pitch walk to Clarke forcing home a run to cut the San Jose lead to 8-7. Cruz was able to induce the next hitter, Muncy, to ground out to shortstop ending the inning.
Stockton though would complete their comeback in the bottom of the ninth. Hunter Dula came on to pitch and quickly retired the first batter of the inning, but Richards was up next and he launched a deep solo home run to left - his second homer of the day - to tie the game 8-8.
The game then went into extras and the Giants were retired 1-2-3 in the top of the 10th as they failed to advance their free runner from second base. Dula returned to the mound in the bottom of the 10th with the winning run at second and struck out Brueser for the first out. Puason though blooped a fly ball that dropped into shallow right center for the game-winning double as Bautista easily scored from second to spark a walk-off celebration.
GIANTS NOTES
Extra-Inning Defeat: Tuesday's loss dropped San Jose's record in extra-inning games this season to 2-1.
McCray Heating Up: Grant McCray finished 4-for-5 with two singles, a double, a home run and four RBI's in the loss. He's now hit three homers over his last five games. McCray raised his season AVG from .191 to .250 on Tuesday.
Other Hitting Standouts: Garrett Frechette (2-for-5, HR, 2 RBI), Adrian Sugastey (2-for-5), Yorlis Rodriguez (2-for-6) and Abdiel Layer (2-for-4, 2B) also had multi-hit games in the loss. The Giants out-hit the Ports 15-9.
Bednar's Start: Will Bednar allowed one hit and two runs (both earned) in his four innings on Tuesday. The reigning California League Pitcher of the Week walked three and struck out six. Bednar retired the final seven batters he faced.
On Deck: The Giants and Ports continue their series on Wednesday evening with first pitch at Banner Island Ballpark set for 7:05 PM. Mason Black is San Jose's scheduled starting pitcher.
California League Stories from May 3, 2022
- Late Lead Slips Away in 10-Inning Loss to Stockton - San Jose Giants
- Ports Walk off on Giants to Snap Skid - Stockton Ports
- Kafka tosses gem against Modesto as Fresno keeps winning - Fresno Grizzlies
- Fresno Grizzlies Game Notes vs Modesto - Fresno Grizzlies
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