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Minor Lines, 9/11/15

For the second straight night, a playoff-deciding game went extra-innings, winner goes on, loser goes home. But for the first night...the Giants' affiliate advanced.

By Kevin J. Cunningham

Highlights: San Jose won the first round of their playoff series.

San Jose prevailed over Stockton (A's), 5-3, in 15 innings.

Name AB R H RBI 2B 3B HR BB SO
RF-CF Chuckie Jones 5 0 1 0 1 0 0 2 3
SS Christian Arroyo 7 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 2
1B Angel Villalona 7 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 4
DH Brian Ragira 7 1 3 2 0 0 1 0 0
C Aramis Garcia 7 2 2 2 0 0 1 0 1
3B Jonah Arenado 7 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 1
Name IP H R ER BB SO HR WP HB
Martin Agosta 3.0 3 3 3 2 2 3 0 0
Samuel Coonrod 4.0 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 0
Ian Gardeck 2.0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0
Jake Smith 2.0 1 0 0 0 4 0 1 0
Dan Slania 2.0 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 0
Tyler Rogers, W 2.0 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 0

With everything on the line, the best part of the San Jose team got to shine, and an unlikely prospect came up with the game-winning hit in the 15th inning to send San Jose to the next round of the California League playoffs.

The game started with Martin Agosta on the mound, the last starter from the rotation that has been there all season.  Agosta only gave up three hits, but each hit was a home run.  Acosta had given up 15 in the regular season in 106 innings.  One came in the first inning, and two more led off the third inning.  After Agosta got out of the third, down 3-0, the Giants turned to one of Augusta's hottest stars, who hadn't pitched in a San Jose uniform all year.

Sam Coonrod pitched more innings than any San Jose pitcher of the game, with four no-hit innings and just one walk, to lock down the Ports.  He got into some trouble in the fifth, after the leadoff walk and then a passed ball put the runner on second.  A sacrifice bunt put the runner on third with one out, but Coonrod got an important strikeout and then a ground out to get out of it.

Meanwhile, San Jose got on the board in the fourth, as Aramis Garcia hit a solo home run to make it 3-1.  Garcia had 15 home runs on the season, but all of them came in 83 games in Augusta.  But he hadn't hit a home run in 20 regular season games with San Jose.

The game remained locked at 3-1, as the San Jose bullpen locked things down.  In the eighth inning, San Jose came back.  Angel Villalona singled to lead off the eighth inning, and Brian Ragira came up next, hitting a two-run, game-tying home run.  Ragira had 10 home runs in the regular season for San Jose.

From there, a number of San Jose pitchers went two innings each.  Ian Gardeck, Jake Smith and Dan Slania all brought the power, Smith in particular, striking out a team-high four batters.  Finally, submariner Tyler Rogers came in, for what would be the final two innings.  The bullpen was spectacular.

The deciding rally was once again started by Angel Villalona, getting a one-out single and moving to second on a wild pitch.  After Ragira popped up for the second out, Aramis Garcia came up.  This time, Garcia just hit a single, but it was enough of a single to score Villalona from second for the lead run.  Garcia would eventually come around with the help of a few mistakes by Stockton, scoring on a wild pitch.

Rogers pitched the bottom of the 15th, walking his first batter, but then getting a double play and a strikeout to put the series to bed.

There's no rest for San Jose, as they head straight to Visalia for Saturday's Game 1 of the Division Series.  Jordan Johnson will start Game 1 for the Giants.  The series will be a best-of-5 game series, coming to San Jose for Games 3 and 4 on Monday and Tuesday (if necessary).  Want to go?

And, just for the sake of being complete, the Southern Division Series will see the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (Dodgers) host the High Desert Mavericks (Rangers)

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