Three-Run Ninth Inning Lifts Giants to Walk-Off Win
July 10, 2016 - California League (CalL1)
San Jose Giants News Release
SAN JOSE, CA - A balk capped a three-run bottom of the ninth inning to lift the San Jose Giants to a come-from-behind 5-4 victory over the Stockton Ports on Sunday evening at Municipal Stadium. Cristian Paulino tied the game with a one-out RBI single and then scored the winning run from third on a two-out balk as the Giants secured the walk-off victory. San Jose (48-39) has now won two out of the first three games in the series against the Ports.
Paulino (2-for-4, RBI, 2 SB) was the only Giants player to finish the game with more than one hit. T.J. Bennett (1-for-3, 2B, 2 RBI) drove in a pair of runs while Ronnie Jebavy (1-for-4, HR, RBI) added a solo homer.
The win was San Jose's first this season when trailing after eight innings.
With Stockton ahead by a 4-2 margin, the ninth-inning rally began when Daniel Carbonell drew a one-out walk. Bennett was up next and he blasted a double off the fence in deep left center. The hit scored Carbonell all the way from first base as the Giants cut the Ports lead in half. Paulino followed by grounding the first pitch of his at-bat up the middle into center field for a single. Bennett easily scored the tying run while Paulino advanced to second when the throw from center fielder B.J. Boyd went all the way home. Following an intentional walk to Ty Ross putting runners on first and second, Stockton closer Carlos Navas struck out pinch-hitter Jose Vizcaino, Jr. for the second out. Jebavy was up next and during his at-bat, Navas uncorked a wild pitch advancing Paulino, the potential winning run, to third. Then just prior to delivering what would have been a 2-2 pitch to Jebavy and with Paulino dancing off the bag at third base, Navas flinched on the mound before coming set. The balk was called, Paulino was awarded home and the Giants celebrated a walk-off win.
Tyler Cyr (1-0) pitched a scoreless top of the ninth inning out of the bullpen to pick-up his first California League win.
Navas (2-5), who entered the game with two outs in the bottom of the eighth, was saddled with the loss. The Stockton right-hander was charged with three runs (all earned) on two hits and two walks during an inning of work.
San Jose took an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second scoring a run without the benefit of a hit. Carbonell walked to start the frame, stole second and moved to third when the throw from catcher Argenis Raga bounced into center field. Bennett then lifted a sacrifice fly to left to score the first run of the contest.
Jose Morel started on the mound for the Giants and began his night with three scoreless innings. Morel pitched around a leadoff double and a walk in the top of the second before using a double play to work around a leadoff single in the third inning. The Ports though would break through against Morel in the fourth. Joe Bennie led off with a single and then with one out, Sandber Pimentel crushed a two-run home run to right center. The homer, Pimentel's team-leading 14th of the season, put Stockton in front 2-1.
The Ports then knocked Morel out of the game with a single run in the top of the fifth. Melvin Mercedes drew a leadoff walk before Richie Martin was hit by a pitch with one out. Boyd then hit a slow roller to third that Paulino fielded, but threw wildly down the right field line. Boyd was credited with a single on the play while Mercedes scored on the throwing error to make it 3-1. D.J. Snelten was then summoned from the bullpen and he promptly induced the first batter he faced, Bennie, to ground into an inning-ending double play.
Stockton kept the pressure on with another run in the sixth. Still facing Snelten, Seth Brown led off with a double. Two batters later, Mikey White bounced a single into left plating Brown for a 4-1 Ports advantage.
Stockton starter Matt Sergey retired 11 consecutive Giants hitters from the second through the fifth innings. Seven out of the 11 outs were recorded via the strikeout. However in the bottom of the sixth, Jebavy led off with a home run to left - his eighth round-tripper of the season - to bring San Jose within 4-2.
Sergey pitched six innings for the Ports and allowed just two runs (one earned) on three hits. He walked one and struck out eight.
Snelten (3 2/3 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 SO) worked scoreless seventh and eighth innings to keep the Giants within two runs before San Jose threatened in the bottom of the eighth. With reliever Corey Miller on the mound, Ross led off by drawing a walk. Richard Rodriguez then hit a comebacker, but Miller's throw to second, in an attempt to force out Ross, was dropped by the shortstop Martin for an error. The miscue put runners on first and second. Jebavy then attempted a sacrifice bunt, but Miller threw out Ross at third on the play. Robbie Garvey followed with a groundout advancing Rodriguez to third and Jebavy, the possible tying run, to second. Navas though entered from the bullpen and retired Dylan Davis on a pop out to shortstop to keep the score at 4-2.
The Giants managed just three hits over the first eight innings before their three-run, two-hit rally in the bottom of the ninth.
Notes: * San Jose also won for the first time this season when trailing after seven innings (1-35). The Giants had been one of only two teams in the California League without a victory this year when behind after seven innings (Inland Empire). * Stockton lost their league-high fifth game this season when leading after eight innings. * Jebavy has hit four home runs in his last seven games (after four homers in his first 72 games this season). * The Ports out-hit the Giants 8-5. * Paulino also stole two bases increasing his team-leading total to 21 (fifth in the California League). San Jose was a perfect 4-for-4 in stolen base attempts on Sunday. * Morel, who was making his second start of the season after 20 relief appearances, pitched 4 1/3 innings and allowed three runs (two earned) and five hits. He walked three and struck out four. * Stockton grounded into four double plays. * The Giants improved to 13-4 against the Ports this season (5-1 at Municipal Stadium). * San Jose is 5-2 on their current homestand.
On Deck: The Giants will look for the series victory against Stockton when the teams conclude their four-game set on Monday afternoon at Municipal Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 12:30 PM. Mark Reyes (7-3, 4.22 ERA) is slated to start on the mound for San Jose while the Ports are expected to counter with Brett Graves (3-7, 5.44 ERA). For tickets, call (408) 297-1435 or visit sjgiants.com.
California League Stories from July 10, 2016
- Three-Run Ninth Inning Lifts Giants to Walk-Off Win - San Jose Giants
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