CalL1 San Jose Giants

Win Streak at Six After 2-1 Victory over Storm

May 7, 2016 - California League (CalL1)
San Jose Giants News Release


SAN JOSE, CA - The San Jose Giants extended their winning streak to a season-high six games with a 2-1 victory over the Lake Elsinore Storm on Saturday evening at Municipal Stadium. The Giants used a dominant six-inning start from Jordan Johnson, stellar bullpen work and took advantage of a costly Storm error to secure the win. San Jose (16-11) has now won the first two games of their series against Lake Elsinore.

Johnson (3-2) surrendered just three hits and one unearned run during his start to pick-up the win. The right-hander walked one and struck out four. Dusten Knight (1 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO) then pitched out of a bases loaded, none out jam in the top of the seventh to maintain the one-run lead before Reyes Moronta (1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO) kept the Storm off the scoreboard in the eighth. Rodolfo Martinez (1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO) pitched a scoreless top of the ninth for his league-leading ninth save of the year.

The only two Giants runs of the contest came in the bottom of the fourth. A one-out walk to C.J Hinojosa against Lake Elsinore starter Elliot Ashbeck started the rally. Ashbeck then left the game with an apparent injury and Chris Shaw greeted new pitcher Kyle McGrath with a line drive single to left advancing Hinojosa to second. Following a fly out off the bat of Jonah Arenado, a wild pitch from McGrath advanced the runners to second and third. Steven Duggar then hit a slow grounder into the hole on the right side. Storm second baseman Josh VanMeter fielded the ball and threw in-time to first, but the ball was dropped by a stretching Trae Santos for an error. The miscue allowed both Hinojosa and Shaw to score giving San Jose a 2-0 lead.

Meanwhile, Johnson cruised through the first five innings yielding just two singles. He allowed a single to Franchy Cordero to start the game, but the runner was promptly erased when the next batter, Luis Urias, grounded into a double play. Johnson set down Lake Elsinore 1-2-3 in the second, pitched around a one-out single in the third and worked through a two-out hit batsman in the top of the fourth. After the Giants took the lead, Johnson breezed through a 3 up, 3 down fifth inning.

The Storm finally broke through against Johnson in the top of the sixth. Cordero led off the inning with a double to deep right. Urias then dropped down a sacrifice bunt and reached base safely when Johnson mishandled the ball for an error. Cordero advanced to third on the play. Javier Guerra followed with a shallow fly out to left for the first out of the inning. Then with Franmil Reyes at the plate, Urias broke for second on a stolen base attempt. He eventually stopped in-between first and second and after a rundown, was tagged out for the second out of the frame. Meanwhile, Cordero raced home on the play and scored to cut the San Jose lead to 2-1. A pitch later, Johnson retired Reyes on a fly out to right to end the inning.

Lake Elsinore threatened in the top of the seventh as three straight singles from Edwin Moreno, Luis Tejada and Santos to start the inning against Knight loaded the bases with none out. The Giants reliever though escaped with the one-run lead still intact. Jose Ruiz followed with a soft line out back to Knight on the mound. Van Meter was then called out on strikes for the second out of the inning. Cordero was up next and he worked a full-count before grounding out to second on the 11th pitch of the at-bat which retired the side.

In the eighth, Moronta struck out two in a 1-2-3 frame. Then in the ninth, Moreno led off with a single to left against Martinez to put the potential tying run aboard, but the Giants closer quickly recovered. Martinez struck out Tejada before Moreno was thrown out at second by catcher Ty Ross attempting to steal. Santos then grounded out to second to end the game.

Ashbeck (0-1), who was making his California League debut, was saddled with the loss for the Storm. The right-hander was charged with one run in 3 1/3 innings. He allowed two hits, walked one and struck out one.

The Giants won despite finishing the game with only four hits.




California League Stories from May 7, 2016


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