Giants Come Back to Walk It Off in Ninth

SAN JOSE, Calif. — The Ports led most of the way on Friday night, and even reclaimed the lead in the top of the ninth before the Giants won game four on an Stockton error, 9-8.

Nick Kurtz’ third home run in just five games with the Ports capped off a three-run third inning for Stockton, on an absolute moonshot to deep right for a 3-0 lead. An RBI single from Clark Elliott in the fourth scored Myles Naylor, and the Ports were up 4-0 through four.

The Giants got two runs in the sixth on back-to-back solo homers by Bo Davidson and Lisbel Diaz to make it 4-2, but Stockton got one back in the seventh when Rodney Green Jr. ripped a base hit through the middle to score Elliott and go up 5-2.

But in the bottom of the seventh the Giants scored five times and send 10 batters to the plate. A two-RBI triple into the right-center gap by Davidson starting the scoring, and a two-out, two-strike piece of hitting by Jean Carlos Sio gave San Jose the lead at 7-5.

A bases-loaded walk in the eighth for Elliott scored Kurtz, though the Ports left them loaded after a ground out to short. However, the top of the ninth started with a walk for Green Jr. and Tommy White reaching on an error. A Kurtz base hit into right center scored one run, and 10th round pick Cameron Leary dropped a base hit over the Giants drawn-in infield for his first professional hit and RBI to put Stockton up 8-7.

But in the bottom of the ninth, Giants first rounder James Tibbs III singled in to right and Jack Payton walked to start the inning. A sac fly from Cesar Quintas tied the game at 8-8, and Sio singled up the middle to keep the line moving. A strikeout got the Ports within an out of forcing extra innings, but a ground ball from catcher Drew Cavanaugh took a low bounce off the edge of the dirt and the lip of the grass before it went under the glove and through the legs of the second baseman Naylor to give San Jose the win on a walk-off error.

The Ports bullpen continues to be taxed, as the A’s have yet to send reinforcements to a team that was already a pitcher short when Ryan Brown was put on the IL. Alejandro Manzano threw 13 pitches more than he was scheduled in that five-run seventh for the Giants. Bryan Restituyo finished off the seventh and threw 53 pitches before taking the loss in the ninth.

Starter Steven Echavarria was magnificent in allowing just one hit and no walks with six strikeouts. However, he was removed after four shutout innings on 51 pitches, since that was what the A’s had him scheduled to work, continuing the confounding pattern of limiting the starter’s build up, putting stress on the bullpen.

UP NEXT
Game five will start at 6:00 PM at Excite Ballpark, with RHP Josh Bostick (1-8, 4.78) starting for the Giants versus Jose Dicochea (1-6, 5.05) for the Ports.

Single game tickets, mini plans, and group outings are all on sale for the 2024 season. For more information, call the Ports front office at 209-644-1900 or email at [email protected].