Eighth-Inning Rally Lifts Grizzlies Past Giants, 4-3
September 11, 2022 – California League (CalL) – San Jose Giants News Release
Fresno’s three-run rally in the top of the eighth inning sent the San Jose Giants to a 4-3 loss on Saturday night at Excite Ballpark. The Giants attempted their own late comeback, but left the potential tying run in scoring position in both the bottom of the eighth and ninth innings to suffer the narrow defeat. San Jose (74-57, 34-31 second half) has now dropped three of the first five games in the series with the regular season set to conclude on Sunday.
Logan Wyatt (3-for-4, 2B, RBI) had three hits, including a key run-scoring double, to lead the Giants offensively in the loss. Wade Meckler (2-for-5) and P.J. Hilson (2-for-3, RBI) also finished with multi-hit games. San Jose out-hit Fresno 10-6.
Joe Kemlage started on the mound for the Giants and had a masterful outing limiting the Grizzlies to one run over six innings pitched. Kemlage allowed only two hits, walked three and struck out four during his 86-pitch performance. The left-hander began his night with three hitless innings before Fresno’s Juan Guerrero smacked a solo home run in the top of the fourth to give the Grizzlies a 1-0 lead. Kemlage though bounced back with consecutive scoreless frames in the fifth and sixth and would retire the final eight batters he faced.
Meanwhile, San Jose rallied for a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth to take their first lead of the contest. Diego Velasquez led off with a single before advancing to second on a wild pitch. Wyatt then stepped to the plate and blasted a double off the fence in deep right to score Velasquez with the tying run.
After Adrian Sugastey grounded out, Hilson singled to put runners on the corners and then a single to left from Yorlis Rodriguez brought home Wyatt for a 2-1 Giants lead.
The game would remain at 2-1 all the way until the eighth. Following Kemlage’s outstanding start, Yoniel Ramirez pitched a scoreless top of the seventh working around a leadoff walk. Ramirez returned to the mound in the eighth and ran into immediately trouble as Braxton Fulford led off with a double to put the tying run into scoring position. A strikeout of Yanquiel Fernandez followed for the first out of the inning. Willian Suarez was then brought into pitch, but the right-hander struggled as the first four batters he faced reached base safely. Following a walk to Jordan Beck, Guerrero singled to load the bases with one out. Starlin Thompson then produced an RBI single to tie the game 2-2. A full-count walk to the next hitter, A.J. Lewis, forced home Beck with the go-ahead run before Suarez uncorked a wild pitch plating Guerrero to make it 4-2 Fresno.
The Giants got one run back in the bottom of the eighth, but a key double play would end the inning allowing the Grizzlies to remain in front. Velasquez struck out to start the frame, however reached safely on a wild pitch. Wyatt followed with a single before another wild pitch advanced the runners to second and third with none out. Sugastey popped out and then a sharp single into left from Hilson scored Velasquez to bring San Jose within 4-3. The hit also advanced Wyatt, the potential tying run, to third base, however Rodriguez followed by grounding into an inning-ending 5-4-3 double play.
The Giants threatened again in the bottom of the ninth as Meckler and Victor Bericoto knocked out back-to-back two-out singles to put the tying and winning runs on base, but Velasquez lined out to right on the first pitch of his at-bat to end the game.
San Jose will close out the regular season on Sunday evening with a 5:00 PM first pitch against Fresno. The Giants and Grizzlies will then meet in the best-of-three North Division Series beginning on Tuesday night at Excite Ballpark. For tickets to upcoming San Jose Giants home games, visit sjgiants.com.
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