SJ Giants Series Preview September 1-7 vs. Modesto
Published on September 1, 2025 under California League (CalL)
San Jose Giants News Release
San Jose Giants (78-48, 36-24) vs Modesto Nuts (66-60, 28-32)
Monday, September 1 - Sunday, September 7
Excite Ballpark (San Jose, CA)
Video: MiLB.TV/Bally Live
Radio: sjgiants.com
GIANTS HOST NUTS TO CONCLUDE REGULAR SEASON: The San Jose Giants close out the regular season this week with a six-game series against the Modesto Nuts (Mariners affiliate) at Excite Ballpark. The series opens with a rare Monday game on the Labor Day holiday. Following an off day on Tuesday, the Giants and Nuts continue their matchup Wednesday through Sunday. Sunday's contest will conclude the 132-game regular season.
PLAYOFF MATCHUP SET: San Jose's opponent for their North Division playoff series is now set as the Giants will take on the Fresno Grizzlies (Rockies affiliate) next week. The Giants have been playoff-bound since June after winning the first half North Division title. Fresno then clinched their playoff berth after eliminating Modesto from second half contention last week.
Fresno will host Game 1 of the best-of-three North Division Series on Tuesday, September 9 (6:50 PM). The series then shifts to Excite Ballpark in San Jose for Game 2 on Thursday, September 11 and Game 3 on Friday, September 12 (if necessary).
Both games in San Jose will begin at 6:30 PM. The Division Series winner advances to the best-of-three California League Championship Series beginning on Sunday, September 14.
SECOND HALF TITLE UP FOR GRABS: While the playoff matchup is now set, the Giants do have an opportunity to win another division crown this week. The Giants (36-24) and Grizzlies (36-24) enter the final week of the regular season tied for first in the second half North Division race (Fresno owns tiebreaker). San Jose is attempting to win both halves in the North Division for the first time in 16 years (2009). The second half race has no bearing on next week's playoff series.
AT THE TOP: The Giants have already clinched the best overall record in the California League for the second straight season.
San Jose enters this final week of the regular season with an overall mark of 78-48 - nine games ahead of the next-closest team (Rancho Cucamonga 69-57). Last season marked the first time since 2013 that the Giants posted the top overall record in the league. San Jose has already surpassed last year's win total (74-57). The last time the Giants finished with the best record in the league in consecutive seasons was 2008 and 2009.
LEAGUE LEADERS: At the start of the week, the Giants are leading the California League in several key statistical categories, including runs scored (6.1 per game), batting average (.259), home runs (96 - tied), ERA (3.41) and fewest home runs allowed (44). San Jose's run differential of +252 is also tops in the league by a considerable margin (Rancho Cucamonga +107).
BACK-TO-BACK SERIES LOSSES: While the Giants have put together an outstanding regular season overall, the club has struggled of late suffering back-to-back series losses. San Jose has a 3-9 record in their last 12 games after dropping five of six at home to Fresno two weeks ago and then losing four of six contests in Visalia last week. The Giants had lost only one out of their previous 14 series' dating back to early-May before this tough stretch. San Jose has especially struggled at the plate recently averaging only 2.6 runs per contest over their last 12 games. The Giants have failed to score more than four runs in 11 straight games (August 19). San Jose has also hit only four home runs in their last 22 games since August 7 (had 15 HR in their previous eight games).
STARTING STRONG: The Giants starting rotation has been a strength throughout the season. Entering the week, Giants starters own a combined 3.01 ERA - significantly lower than the next-closest team (Rancho Cucamonga 3.62). Rotation standouts include Jacob Bresnahan, who is third in the Cal League with 115 strikeouts over 87 2/3 innings to go with a 2.77 ERA, .201 opponents batting average and league-best eight wins. Since the beginning of June, Bresnahan owns a 1.78 ERA over 12 starts.
Niko Mazza (2.04 ERA, .209 opp. AVG) and Hunter Dryden (3.10 ERA, .220 opp. AVG) have also helped anchor the rotation. Mazza has allowed one or no earned runs in 17 of his 20 starts this season and fashioned a 0.95 ERA in August (four starts). Meanwhile, Dryden has surrendered two earned runs or fewer in 16 of his 20 starts.
Luis De La Torre has excelled since joining the club in July posting a 1.99 ERA in seven starts with 44 strikeouts and only nine walks in 31 2/3 innings (.177 opp. AVG). Recent addition Keyner Martinez boasts a 1.93 ERA over 18 2/3 innings with 26 strikeouts. Martinez was named the Arizona Complex League Pitcher of the Year last week (was promoted to San Jose on July 30). With an overall team ERA of 3.41, the Giants are poised to lead the Cal League in earned run average for a fifth consecutive season (2021- 25). Fresno is next-closest at 4.30 - nearly a full run higher than San Jose's current mark.
HITTING STANDOUTS: Lisbel Diaz enters this week's series leading the California League in hits (132) and doubles (31).
Diaz is batting .316 over his last 25 games.
Walker Martin is fourth in the league in RBI's (68) and sixth in home runs (12) while Robert Hipwell ranks sixth among qualifying hitters with an .818 OPS.
Trevor Cohen (.322 AVG in 87 at-bats) and Jose Astudillo (.353 AVG in 51 at-bats) have also gotten off to hot starts since joining the Giants last month.
GOODBYE, MODESTO: This series marks the end of an era in the California League as it will serve as the final games ever for the Modesto Nuts. Modesto has had a team in the California League since 1946, but will be relocating to San Bernardino for the 2026 season. The Cal League will also debut a brand new franchise in Ontario next year. The Giants are 8-10 against Modesto this season - the only team San Jose has a losing record against in 2025 (only three of the 18 games have been played at Excite Ballpark). The Nuts eliminated the Giants in the North Division Series the last two seasons on their way to back-to-back California League titles.
California League Stories from September 1, 2025
- SJ Giants Series Preview September 1-7 vs. Modesto - San Jose Giants
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