Late Rally Propels Giants to Series Win over Sixers
July 24, 2016 - California League (CalL1)
San Jose Giants News Release
SAN JOSE, CA - Ronnie Jebavy's go-ahead two-RBI double highlighted a three-run bottom of the eighth for the Giants in an 8-6 San Jose victory over the Inland Empire 66ers on Sunday evening at Municipal Stadium. With the come-from-behind win, the Giants (52-48) took three out of four games in the series from the Sixers.
Jebavy (1-for-5, 2B, 2 RBI) erased a late one-run deficit was his clutch two-out hit to lead the San Jose offensive attack. Robbie Garvey (1-for-5, RBI) added a run-scoring single later in the frame while Miguel Gomez (1-for-4, HR, 3 RBI) homered earlier in the contest for San Jose. Every Giants player in the lineup finished the game with at least one hit.
Trailing 6-5, the bottom of the eighth began for San Jose with a single from Daniel Carbonell. After T.J. Bennett struck out, Carbonell stole second. Cristian Paulino then walked to put the potential go-ahead run on base before Rene Melendez struck out looking for the second out. Jebavy was up next and he laced an 0-1 pitch from Inland Empire reliever Kevin Grendell down the left field line for a double. The hit easily scored both Carbonell and Paulino giving the Giants a 7-6 lead. Garvey then stepped to the plate and singled sharply into right plating Jebavy to make it 8-6.
Tyler Cyr (2-1) was credited with the win out of the San Jose bullpen after working a 1-2-3 top of the eighth. Cyr struck out one batter during his brief relief stint. Reyes Moronta pitched a scoreless top of the ninth for his fifth save of the season. Jared Foster singled with two outs in the ninth to bring the tying run to the plate, but Moronta struck out Taylor Ward to end the game.
Grendell (1-4) was charged with the loss after allowing all three runs in the bottom of the eighth - his only inning of work.
The back-and-forth affair saw the 66ers score single runs in the first and second innings against Giants starter Jose Morel to take an early 2-0 lead. A pair of one-out singles put runners on the corners with one out in the top of the first before a two-out wild pitch uncorked by Morel scored the run. An inning later, Morel threw another wild pitch with a runner at third base to score the second Inland Empire run of the night.
San Jose cut the Sixers lead in half with a run in the bottom of the second. Jonah Arenado led off the inning with a double to deep left center. Gomez's groundout to second then advanced Arenado to third before Carbonell grounded out to shortstop to score the run.
The Giants then exploded for four runs in the bottom of the third to take a 5-2 lead. Melendez started the inning with a single before Garvey reached on a one-out error. Dylan Davis then walked to load the bases. Arenado was up next and he hit a hard grounder to third that was knocked down by Ryan Sebra. Sebra recorded the force out on Garvey at third base, but threw wildly to first in an attempt to complete an inning-ending double play. Melendez scored the tying run while Davis advanced to third and Arenado took second on the error. Arenado was credited with an RBI on the play. Gomez followed for San Jose and launched a fly ball over the fence down the left field line for a home run. The round-tripper, Gomez's second in as many games, gave the Giants a 5-2 lead.
Inland Empire though battled back with three runs over the next two innings against Morel to tie the game 5-5. In the top of the fourth, Roberto Baldoquin drew a leadoff walk, moved to second on Jeff Boehm's single, took third on Sebra's sacrifice bunt and scored when Ayendy Perez hit a sacrifice fly. An inning later, Hutton Moyer was hit by a pitch with one out before Foster crushed a game-tying two-run home to left.
Morel allowed five runs (all earned) on six hits in his five innings of work. The right-hander walked three, struck out three and threw three wild pitches.
San Jose stranded the potential go-ahead run in scoring position in the bottom of the fifth and sixth innings before the Sixers reclaimed the lead in the top of the seventh. Facing Dusten Knight (2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 SO), Foster singled with one out before Ward walked. Baldoquin then grounded a single into left plating Foster for a 6-5 Inland Empire advantage.
The Giants went down quietly in the bottom of the seventh as the 66ers maintained their one-run lead. Cyr then breezed through a perfect top of the eighth before San Jose rallied in the bottom of the inning.
Melendez (2-for-4) was the only Giants player to finish the game with more than one hit.
Notes: * San Jose has won four out of their last five games. * The Giants out-hit the 66ers 10-9. * Jebavy finished the series 9-for-19 (.474 AVG) with two doubles, a triple and four RBI's. * San Jose won for just the second time this season when trailing after seven innings (2-43). Their only other win came on July 10 versus Stockton. * Gomez has hit a three-run home run in each of the last two games (10 home runs total this season between San Jose and Augusta). He struck out in the bottom of the seventh to snap a streak of 48 consecutive at-bats without a strikeout dating back to July 8 in Augusta. * Arenado's double was his 26th of the year - fourth in the California League. * The Giants finish the season with a 7-4 record against Inland Empire (5-2 at Municipal Stadium). * Moronta picked-up his first save since July 6. * San Jose's overall record after 100 games stands at 52-48 (13-17 second half).
On Deck: The Giants continue their homestand on Monday evening with the opener of a three-game series against the Bakersfield Blaze. First pitch at Municipal Stadium is scheduled for 7:00 PM. Mark Reyes (7-4, 4.48 ERA) is slated to start on the mound for San Jose while Bakersfield is expected to counter with Art Warren (0-0, 4.85 ERA). For tickets, call (408) 297-1435 or visit sjgiants.com.
California League Stories from July 24, 2016
- Sixers Lose Late Lead, Series - Inland Empire 66ers
- Nuts Fall 8-1 in Season Series Finale vs. Blaze - Modesto Nuts
- Late Rally Propels Giants to Series Win over Sixers - San Jose Giants
- Quakes Hammer Storm on Sunday - Rancho Cucamonga Quakes
- Giants Rack up 18 Hits in 8-1 Win over 66ers - Inland Empire 66ers
- Back-To-Back Doubles for Visalia Breaks Late Tie in 6-4 - Visalia Rawhide
- Rawhide Rally Late, Beat Ports 6-4 - Stockton Ports
- Seesaw Battle Points to Modesto in the End - Bakersfield Blaze
- Nuts Beat Back Blaze in 5-4 Win - Modesto Nuts
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