Giants Comeback Not Enough, Skid Continues With 10-Inning Loss
The San Jose Giants rallied from a late five-run deficit to force extras on Saturday night before falling by a 7–6 score in 10 innings to the Modesto Nuts at Excite Ballpark. After the Giants overcame a 5–0 margin to tie the score, Modesto went back ahead with a two-run top of the 10th and then held off another San Jose comeback effort in the bottom of the inning to secure the narrow victory. The setback was the Giants’ (63–56 overall, 23–30 second) fifth in a row this week to Nuts matching their longest losing streak of the season.
Bryce Eldridge (3-for-4) continued his strong opening week in the California League with three more hits on Saturday while Dilan Rosario (2-for-4, 3B, 2 RBI, SB) and P.J. Hilson (2-for-4, 3B, 2 RBI) each produced a pair of hits and drove in two runs to lead the way offensively in defeat.
Modesto jumped out early in the contest scoring one run in the second, three runs in the third and another run in the top of the fourth to take a 5–0 lead. Joe Ross started on the mound for San Jose on a rehab assignment. Ross, who has spent six seasons in the major leagues with the Washington Nationals and is in his first year in the SF Giants organization, pitched 1 1/3 innings as he continued his comeback from a second Tommy John surgery. Ross breezed through a five-pitch top of the first and then was removed from the game in the second after allowing a leadoff single and issuing a one-out walk. Originally scheduled starter Mikell Manzano entered from the bullpen, but gave up a two-out RBI single to Tatem Levins as the Nuts took a 1–0 lead.
Modesto then kept the pressure on in the top of the third as a hit batter and a two-out walk put a pair of runners on base before Aidan Smith produced a two-RBI double to make it 3–0. Luis Suisbel followed with a run-scoring single as the Nuts advantage grew to 4–0. An inning later, RJ Schreck doubled with one out against Manzano and scored on a Tai Peete two-out single to push the lead to 5–0.
Meanwhile, the Giants were held off the scoreboard over the first six innings managing just four singles. The game was still at 5–0 when San Jose finally broke through in the bottom of the seventh. Jack Payton led off the inning with a single and immediately scored the Giants’ first run when the next batter, Rosario, laced a triple into the left field corner.
Hilson was up next and he drove a fly ball to the fence in deep left center for another triple as Rosario came home to make it a 5–2 game.
Hilson later scored the third run of the inning on a Diego Velasquez RBI groundout as San Jose pulled within 5–3.
The Giants continued their comeback in the bottom of the eighth as Cole Foster drew a one-out walk before Payton singled to put the potential tying run on base. Rosario was up next and he singled sharply into right field bringing home Foster to trim the Nuts lead to 5–4.
After a successful double steal from Payton and Rosario put runners at second and third, a wild pitch scored the tying run as San Jose drew even at 5–5.
The Giants, however, missed on an opportunity to take their first lead of the game as Hilson struck out and Scott Bandura grounded out to strand the potential go-ahead run at third base.
San Jose had a chance to win the game in the bottom of the ninth as Eldridge singled with one out before Justin Wishkoski was hit by a pitch to move the potential winning run into scoring position. Charlie Szykowny though popped out and Foster flied out to end the inning and send the contest into extras.
With Jorge Garcia on the mound, Modesto then scored twice in the top of the 10th to reclaim the lead at 7–5. With Lazaro Montes as the automatic runner at second base, Suisbel put the Nuts back ahead with a towering one-out RBI triple off the fence in deep right. Gabe Moncada followed with a single that plated Suisbel for a two-run Nuts cushion.
The Giants responded in the bottom of the 10th as back-to-back four-pitch walks to Payton and Rosario to start the inning loaded the bases with none out. Hilson then hit a sacrifice fly to center to bring home the automatic runner, Foster, as San Jose closed within 7–6. Payton, the potential tying run, also tagged-up on the play and advanced to third. However, Bandura followed by grounding the first pitch of his at-bat to second base that resulted in a game-ending 4–6–3 double play as Modesto held on for the victory.
Both teams finished with 10 hits. The Nuts were 6-for-18 with runners in scoring position compared to only 2-for-13 for the Giants. Payton (2-for-4, SB) also had a multi-hit game for San Jose.
Giants pitching recorded a season-high 18 strikeouts. Relievers Julio Rodriguez (2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 SO) and Tyler Vogel (2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 SO) combined for 11 strikeouts over four scoreless innings from the fifth through the eighth. Garcia added five strikeouts in his two innings, but was saddled with the loss after surrendering the two runs in the top of the 10th.
San Jose fell to 4–6 in extra-inning games this season, including 0–4 in the second half. The current skid matches the five-game slide the Giants endured from June 16–21 to equal their longest losing streak of the season.
The Giants will look to avoid a six-game sweep when they conclude their series against Modesto on Sunday evening. First pitch at Excite Ballpark is at 5:00 PM. Visit sjgiants.com for tickets.
