Late Lead Slips Away In 9-7 Loss To Ports
Published on May 16, 2023 under California League (CalL)
San Jose Giants News Release
The San Jose Giants opened their 12-game road trip on Tuesday afternoon with a 9-7 loss to the host Stockton Ports at Banner Island Ballpark. Stockton scored six runs over the seventh and eighth innings to earn the comeback victory in the first of 30 contests between the division rivals this season. With the setback, San Jose (22-12) saw their season-high tying four-game win streak snapped.
Tanner O'Tremba (2-for-4, 2 HR, 3 RBI) homered twice while Andrew Kachel (3-for-4, HR, 2 RBI) also went deep as part of a three-hit game to lead the Giants offensively in defeat. It was a sloppy game for San Jose as the Giants committed a season-high four errors, issued eight walks, hit two batters, threw six wild pitches and committed two balks.
The Ports knocked Giants starter Gerelmi Maldonado out of the game with a two-run bottom of the second to take an early 2-0 lead. Three straight walks issued by Maldonado to start the inning loaded the bases with none out. A Maldonado wild pitch then allowed the first run of the game to score. A two-out error later extended the inning for Stockton before a bases loaded walk forced home another run to make it 2-0 and end Maldonado's day.
San Jose immediately got one run back in the top of the third as Kachel led off with a single before Zach Morgan laced a double down the left field line to put runners on second and third. P.J. Hilson then knocked in Kachel when he reached on a throwing error committed by Ports third baseman Jose Escorche.
The game remained at 2-1 until the top of the sixth as Giants relievers Luis Moreno (2 1/3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO) and Sam Delaplane (1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO) combined on 3 1/3 scoreless innings out of the bullpen. San Jose then scratched across a single run in the top of the sixth to tie the score. With one out, Carter Howell doubled to right and took third on the play when the throw from Stockton right fielder Henry Bolte skipped away for an error. Diego Velasquez followed with an RBI groundout as Howell came home for a 2-2 tie.
Miguel Mora was then summoned from the bullpen to begin the bottom of the sixth and surrendered a run in his first inning of work as the Ports quickly reclaimed the lead. With one out, Nelson Beltran bounced a double down the left field line, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on Robert Puason's two-out single as Stockton took a 3-2 lead.
A pair of two-run homers though hit in the top of the seventh produced a big inning for the Giants. After Onil Perez drew a leadoff walk and stole second, O'Tremba stepped to the plate and launched an opposite field two-run home run to right center. The round-tripper gave San Jose their first lead of the day at 4-3. The rally then continued when Jose Ramos was hit by a pitch before Kachel smacked a two-run home run to right - his first longball of the season - to make it 6-3.
The Ports, however, answered with six runs of their own over the next two innings to take back the lead for good. With Mora still on the mound in the bottom of the seventh, Brayan Buelvas was hit by a pitch to leadoff, was balked to second, moved to third on a wild pick-off throw and scored on a wild pitch. A one-out RBI double from T.J. Schofield-Sam later in the inning then brought Stockton within 6-5. Mora was removed from the game with runners at the corners and two outs as Tyler Vogel came in and retired Beltran on a groundout to end the inning.
After the Giants went down quietly in the top of the eighth, the Ports completed their late comeback with a four-run bottom of the inning. Vogel plunked Puason with one out to start the rally before consecutive full-count walks to Buelvas and Tommy Milone loaded the bases. Bolte was up next and he ripped a double to the fence in deep left that scored all three runners to put Stockton in front 8-6. A two-out RBI single from Jose Mujica then made it a 9-6 margin.
San Jose got a run back immediately in the top of the ninth as O'Tremba led off with his second homer of the game - a deep drive to right center. It was O'Tremba's third home run of the season as the Giants closed the gap to 9-7. San Jose then loaded the bases with two outs as Kachel singled, Morgan walked and Howell reached on an error. However with the potential tying run at second and go-ahead run at first, Velasquez flied out to center to end the game.
The Ports out-hit the Giants by an 8-7 margin with two teams combining for seven errors (SJ 4, Stockton 3). Vogel (3-2) suffered the loss after yielding four runs (all earned) on two hits over 1 1/3 innings. The Giants' three homers on Tuesday matched a season-high.
The Giants and Ports continue their six-game series on Wednesday evening with first pitch at Banner Island Ballpark set for 7:05 PM. Manuel Mercedes is San Jose's scheduled starting pitcher. The game can be heard live on sjgiants.com.
California League Stories from May 16, 2023
- Late Lead Slips Away In 9-7 Loss To Ports - San Jose Giants
- Fresno Grizzlies Game Notes at Modesto - Fresno Grizzlies
- Ports Top Giants in Back-And-Forth Affair - Stockton Ports
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