Nuts Score Eight Unanswered, Cruise Past Giants
June 12, 2016 - California League (CalL1)
San Jose Giants News Release
MODESTO, CA - The Modesto Nuts scored eight unanswered runs to finish the game on Saturday night in a 10-5 victory over the San Jose Giants at John Thurman Field. Modesto rallied from an early three-run deficit taking the lead for good on Shane Hoelscher's three-run homer in the bottom of the fifth before cruising to the win. The Giants (34-27) have now dropped two out of the first three games in the series and have lost six out of seven overall.
Cristian Paulino (2-for-4, HR, RBI) homered as part of a two-hit game to lead San Jose offensively in defeat. Ronnie Jebavy (2-for-5, SB) and C.J Hinojosa (2-for-2, 2B, RBI) also finished with two hits apiece.
The game went back-and-forth early as the Nuts scored twice in the bottom of the first inning against Giants starter Martin Agosta to take a 2-0 lead. Wes Rogers began the frame with a single. Rogers then stole second and advanced to third when the throw from catcher Jared Deacon bounced into center field. Jebavy picked-up the ball in shallow center, but threw wildly towards third which allowed Rogers to score the game's first run. Two San Jose errors were charged on the play. Two batters later, Drew Weeks connected for a solo home run to deep left center for a 2-0 Modesto advantage.
San Jose quickly tied the game with single tallies in the second and third innings while facing Nuts All-Star hurler Ryan Castellani. With two outs in the top of the second, Paulino launched a towering solo home run down the left field line. The homer was Paulino's second of the season. Then in the third, Jebavy led off with a single, stole second, moved to third on Steven Duggar's groundout and scored when Hinojosa smacked a double into the left center field gap.
Meanwhile, Agosta faced the minimum six hitters over the second and third innings before the Giants erupted for a three-run top of the fourth. Brandon Bednar began the inning with a single before a Paulino bunt single. Deacon then advanced the runners to second and third with a sacrifice bunt. Robbie Garvey was up next and he lined a single into right plating Bednar with the go-ahead run. Paulino advanced to third on the hit while Garvey took second on an errant throw back to the infield from the right fielder Weeks. Moments later, Castellani balked home Paulino with the second run of the inning. Castellani then uncorked a wild pitch to score Garvey for a 5-2 San Jose lead.
Modesto responded with a run in the bottom of the fourth without picking-up a hit. Consecutive walks issued by Agosta to Weeks and Dom Nunez started the inning. Following a wild pitch, Josh Fuentes lifted a sacrifice fly to right scoring Weeks to trim the Giants lead to 5-3. Agosta though prevented further damage in the inning when he struck out Collin Ferguson and retired Forrest Wall on a fly out.
The Nuts though kept the pressure on with three more runs in the bottom of the fifth. A leadoff walk to Luis Jean and a one-out double from Max White put runners on second and third and ended Agosta's night. Jose Morel was summoned from the bullpen, but he promptly allowed a home run to his first batter as Hoelscher crushed a 3-0 pitch over the fence in left. The three-run homer, Hoelscher's team-leading seventh round-tripper this season, gave Modesto a 6-5 lead.
The Nuts then poured it on with three more runs against Morel in the sixth. With two outs, Wall clubbed a double to deep left before Jean drew a walk. Rogers then stepped to the plate and laced a line drive over Jebavy's head in center for a two-RBI triple. White followed with a triple of his own into the right field corner to score Rogers pushing the lead to 9-5.
Modesto then capped the scoring with a run in the bottom of the seventh against Jeff Soptic (2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 SO). After the first two batters of the inning were retired, Fuentes singled and Ferguson walked. Wall then singled to plate Fuentes for a 10-5 Nuts cushion.
Castellani (2-6) earned the win after tossing seven innings with five runs (four earned) and 10 hits allowed. He walked two and struck out five. After giving up five runs over the first four innings, Castellani kept the Giants off the scoreboard in the fifth, sixth and seventh frames.
San Jose did not pick-up a hit in the game after a fifth-inning single from Jonah Arenado.
Morel (1-3) was saddled with the loss after yielding four runs (all earned) on four hits in 1 2/3 innings. All four hits allowed went for extra bases (one double, two triples, one home run).
Agosta was charged with a season-high five runs (all earned) on five hits over 4 1/3 innings. He walked three and struck out two.
California League Stories from June 12, 2016
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- Nuts Fall in Extras 2-1 - Modesto Nuts
- JetHawks Swept by Rawhide with Sunday Rout - Lancaster JetHawks
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- Ports Snap 10-Game Skid with 9-4 Win - Stockton Ports
- Mavericks Hammer 66ers 12-1 - Inland Empire 66ers
- Visalia Lowers Magic Number to 4 in 5-2 Victory Over Lancaster - Visalia Rawhide
- Nuts Score Eight Unanswered, Cruise Past Giants - San Jose Giants
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- Power Surge Backs Castellani in 10-5 Win - Modesto Nuts
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