Giants Outlast Bakersfield, 14-11, To Complete Sweep
June 24, 2007 - California League (CalL1)
San Jose Giants News Release
The San Jose Giants outlasted the Bakersfield Blaze 14-11 on a warm Saturday night at Sam Lynn Ballpark to complete a three-game sweep. San Jose rallied from a 10-6 deficit and went ahead for good with a pair of runs in the top of the sixth inning. Tyler Von Schell and Adam Witter each contributed three hits and three RBI as the Giants posted a season-high total for runs scored. With the win, San Jose (42-31 overall) records their fourth consecutive victory and maintains a perfect record in the Second Half (3-0).
Von Schell (3-for-5, 3 RBI), Witter (3-for-5, 2B, HR, 3 RBI), Antoan Richardson (3-for-6, 3B), and Ben Copeland (3-for-5, 3B, 2 RBI, SB) all produced three-hit games offensively for the Giants. Witter blasted his fourth home run of the season - a two-run shot in the first inning.
Ryan Paul (4-1) earned the victory out of the bullpen with 2 2/3 no-hit innings. The left-hander, who entered the contest to begin the bottom of the fifth, walked one and struck out three.
San Jose's 18 hits matched a season-high.
Trailing 10-6, the Giants scored the first of eight unanswered runs in the top of the fifth when Witter doubled home Copeland with a line drive to deep right center field. Later in the frame, Anthony Contreras singled to score Witter cutting the deficit to 10-8. Then Mike Mooney delivered a double down the left field line plating Contreras to make the score 10-9.
In the sixth, Richardson led off with a towering drive off the top of the fence in left field that went for a triple. He immediately scored when the next batter, Brian Bocock, hammered a double into the left center field gap.
With one out, Bocock stole third and then scored the go-ahead run on Von Schell's single to center field.
San Jose added to their lead in the ninth inning with a two-out, three-run rally. Consecutive singles from Will Thompson and Richardson put runners on first and second before back-to-back walks to Bocock and Copeland produced a run. Then Von Schell stepped to the plate and lined a single into center field scoring Richardson and Bocock for a 14-10 advantage.
Kelvin Pichardo relieved Paul with two outs and the bases empty in the bottom of the seventh and promptly retired all four batters he faced. In the ninth, Sergio Romo allowed a two-out run before recovered to strike out Jon Weber to end the game and leave the potential tying run in the on-deck circle.
Henry Sosa struggled in his second start with San Jose since a promotion from Augusta (Low-A). On Saturday, Sosa allowed seven runs (six earned) on six hits in two innings. The right-hander walked three and struck out four.
The Giants jumped in front 4-0 in the top of the first inning against Blaze starter Michael Schlact (4 1/3 IP, 9 H, 9 R, 7 ER, 0 BB, 3 SO). Copeland brought home the first run with a triple before scoring when the next batter, Von Schell, reached on an error. Witter capped the first-inning scoring when he belted a 1-0 pitch from Schlact over the fence in right center field for a two-run homer.
Bakersfield answered with a single tally in the first inning and six runs in the second against Sosa to take a 7-4 lead.
San Jose scored twice in the third inning on an error and a Mooney sacrifice fly. The Blaze responded against reliever Nathan Pendley (2 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 3 SO) with a run in the third and two in the fourth to move in front by a 10-6 margin.
Notes: San Jose scored 25 runs in the final two games of the series ... Their previous season-high in runs was 13 (May 4 at Bakersfield, May 31 vs. Bakersfield) ... The Giants scored in double figures in consecutive games for the first time this year ... Copeland raised his team-leading batting average to .331 ... Bocock (2-for-5, 2B, RBI, SB) and Contreras (2-for-5, RBI) also contributed multi-hit games ... David Maroul (0-for-5) was the lone Giants starter without a hit ... Paul and Pichardo (1 1/3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO) combined to throw four no-hit innings spanning the fifth through the eighth ... Sosa had allowed just five earned runs in 62 innings all season with Augusta before his promotion ... The sweep was San Jose's second on the road this season (at Stockton, April 5-8) ... The four-game streak is their longest since winning six straight, April 17-22.
On Deck: The Giants continue their road trip Sunday with the opener of a four-game series at Inland Empire. First pitch against the 66ers at Arrowhead Credit Union Park is scheduled for 6:05 P.M. Darren Sack (0-0, 6.17 ERA) is slated to start on the mound for San Jose while Inland Empire is expected to counter with James McDonald (5-5, 3.54 ERA). The game can be heard live on www.sjgiants.com.
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California League Stories from June 24, 2007
- Giles to Rehab with Storm - Lake Elsinore Storm
- Justin Masterson Sinks Blaze Hopes in 14-4 JetHawks Win - Lancaster JetHawks
- San Jose at Inland Empire June 24-27 - San Jose Giants
- Giants Outlast Bakersfield, 14-11, To Complete Sweep - San Jose Giants
- Brad Correll Joins Aaron Bates in the Cal League Record Book - Lancaster JetHawks
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