Ninth-Inning Outburst Propels Giants Past Grizzlies, 11-6
Published on July 8, 2023 under California League (CalL)
San Jose Giants News Release
Tanner O'Tremba's go-ahead RBI double highlighted a five-run top of the ninth inning for the San Jose Giants in an 11-6 victory over the Fresno Grizzlies on Friday night at Chukchansi Park. After Fresno rallied from a four-run deficit to tie the game, the Giants answered with their ninth-inning outburst to go back ahead en route to the win. The triumph was San Jose's (44-35 overall, 4-9 second half) first of the series following three straight losses to the Grizzlies.
Thomas Gavello (2-for-5, 2B, 3B, RBI), P.J. Hilson (2-for-5, 2 RBI, SB), Matt Higgins (2-for-4, 2B, 2 RBI, SB), Andrew Kachel (2-for-4, 2B, 2 RBI) and Alexander Suarez (2-for-5) each produced multi-hit games for the Giants in Friday's contest. Zach Morgan (1-for-4, 3 RBI) also drove in three runs, including a key two-RBI single during the decisive ninth-inning rally. San Jose finished the game with 14 hits.
The Giants enjoyed an early 4-0 lead after back-to-back two-run innings in the first and second. San Jose loaded the bases with none out in the top of the first as Suarez started the game with a single, Kachel reached on catcher's interference and O'Tremba walked. Higgins then lined a single into left to plate Suarez with the first run of the game. The RBI knock extended Higgins' hitting streak to 12 games - the longest by a Giants player this season. Morgan followed with a sacrifice fly as Kachel came home to make it 2-0.
In the second, consecutive two-out singles from Jose Ramos and Suarez put runners on first and second before Kachel stepped to the plate and laced a two-RBI double into the left center gap for a 4-0 advantage.
Reggie Crawford started on the mound for San Jose and fired a 1-2-3 bottom of the first - his only inning of work. Crawford struck out two of the three batters he faced. Gerelmi Maldonado was then summoned from the bullpen to begin the bottom of the second and surrendered an unearned run in his first inning of work. A Ramos error at shortstop extended the inning for Fresno before Kody Huff's RBI single trimmed the Giants lead to 4-1.
Both teams then scored once in the third inning. In the top half, Gavello smacked a two-out double to deep right center and immediately scored when the next batter, Hilson, lined a single into left. Then in the bottom of the inning, a one-out RBI single from Skyler Messinger brought the Grizzlies within 5-2. Fresno had a change to do more damage in the inning, but Maldonado induced Jesus Bugarin to ground into a 5-4-3 double play with the bases loaded to retire the side.
The Grizzlies though would keep the pressure on with another unearned run against Maldonado in the bottom of the fourth. A Parker Kelly double and an HBP put two runners on for Fresno before a two-out error scored a run to cut the San Jose lead to 5-3.
Daniel Blair relieved Maldonado to begin the bottom of the fifth and promptly surrendered a home run to Messinger on the first pitch of his outing. The solo shot, Messinger's third homer of the series, made it a 5-4 game. Blair did bounce back to strikeout the next three hitters before breezing through a perfect bottom of the sixth to maintain the one-run lead.
The Giants then grabbed back some momentum with a single tally in the top of the seventh as O'Tremba walked with two outs, stole second and scored when Higgins belted a double off the left field fence. However, Fresno immediately answered with two runs in the bottom of the inning to tie the game. Dyan Jorge led off with a double down the right field line and scored on the play when San Jose committed two errors. O'Tremba made a wild throw back to the infield allowing Jorge to take third and when the third baseman Dilan Rosario kicked the rolling ball in shallow left for another error, the runner came home to make it 6-5. Another error in the inning would then prove costly as Bryant Betancourt followed with a single and was able to take third on a two-base throwing miscue committed by Blair on a pick-off attempt. Betancourt later scored on a Bugarin RBI groundout to tie the game 6-6.
Blair managed to keep the game even in the bottom of the eighth pitching around a Daniel Amaral two-out triple before San Jose erupted in the top of the ninth. Suarez led off with a deep fly ball that took the center fielder Bugarin back to the warning track, who then dropped the ball for a three-base error. After Kachel struck out, O'Tremba came up and hammered a double off the left field fence to bring home Suarez with the go-ahead run. The Giants, however, were just getting started in the inning. After Higgins was intentionally walked and San Jose executed a double steal, Morgan grounded a single up the middle to plate two more for a 9-6 lead. Gavello followed with a ringing triple into the right field corner to score Morgan and then Hilson produced an RBI single - the fifth straight batter in the inning to reach safely - for an 11-6 cushion.
Blair then finished the game with a six-pitch 1-2-3 bottom of the ninth. Blair (7-1) earned his team-leading seventh win of the season after pitching the final five innings with three runs (two earned) allowed. He gave up four hits, walked none and struck out four during his 66-pitch piggyback performance.
The Giants out-hit the Grizzlies 14-10. Every San Jose player in the lineup had at least one hit. The Giants finished with five doubles, one triple and went 7-for-14 with runners in scoring position (Fresno 2-for-13). San Jose was also a perfect 4-for-4 in stolen base attempts. The Giants won despite committing a season-high six errors. Fresno saw their six-game winning streak snapped.
The Giants continue their series against Fresno on Saturday evening with first pitch at Chukchansi Park set for 6:50 PM. Seth Corry is San Jose's scheduled starting pitcher. The game can be heard live on sjgiants.com.
California League Stories from July 8, 2023
- Quakes Take Care of Business in 11 - Rancho Cucamonga Quakes
- Fresno Grizzlies Game Notes vs San Jose - Fresno Grizzlies
- Stockton Hangs on to Make It Three in a Row over Modesto - Stockton Ports
- Late Fresno comeback thwarted by 5-run San Jose 9th - Fresno Grizzlies
- Ninth-Inning Outburst Propels Giants Past Grizzlies, 11-6 - San Jose Giants
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