Season Ends With Game 2 Loss

The 2023 San Jose Giants season came to a close on Thursday night with a 13–4 loss to the Modesto Nuts at Excite Ballpark in Game 2 of the North Division Series. Modesto overcame an early 4–0 deficit scoring 13 unanswered runs on their way to the convincing victory. With the setback, the Giants were swept two-games-to-none by the Nuts in the best-of-three Division Series.

Needing a win to keep their season alive and force a deciding Game 3 of the series, San Jose jumped out early on Thursday scoring three runs in the bottom of the first. Turner Hill led off the frame with a single before advancing to second on an errant pick-off throw from Modesto pitcher Logan Evans. After Diego Velasquez drew a 10-pitch walk and Justin Wishkoski struck out, Bryce Eldridge lined an RBI single into center to give the Giants a 1–0 lead.

San Jose Giants on Twitter: "BOT 1Giants 1 | Nuts 0Bryce Eldridge drives in the first run of the game! pic.twitter.com/AeIkWsRWnU / Twitter"

BOT 1Giants 1 | Nuts 0Bryce Eldridge drives in the first run of the game! pic.twitter.com/AeIkWsRWnU

Cole Foster was up next and his sacrifice fly plated Velasquez with the second run of the inning. Charlie Szykowny then ripped a double down the right field line and when Nuts right fielder Lazaro Montes kicked the ball for an error, Eldridge raced around third and scored another run to make it 3–0.

San Jose Giants on Twitter: "BOT 1 Giants 3 | Nuts 0Charlie Szykowny extends the lead! 🏃‍♂️ pic.twitter.com/6KMOqQmbrR / Twitter"

BOT 1 Giants 3 | Nuts 0Charlie Szykowny extends the lead! 🏃‍♂️ pic.twitter.com/6KMOqQmbrR

San Jose added to their lead with a single tally in the bottom of the second. Scott Bandura led off with a double on a ball lost in the lights in left center field. A P.J. Hilson fly out advanced Bandura to third before Velasquez’s RBI groundout pushed the Giants advantage to 4–0.

Meanwhile, Dylan Cumming started on the mound for San Jose and the team’s co-Pitcher of the Year began his outing with two scoreless innings. Cumming pitched around a two-out double in the top of the first and back-to-back two-out singles in the second inning to keep Modesto off the board. The Nuts though would breakthrough against Cumming in the top of the third. Consecutive walks to Brock Rodden and Johnny Farmelo started the inning before Colt Emerson’s RBI single brought the Nuts within 4–1.

Modesto then tied the game with a three-run top of the fourth. Michael Arroyo led off with a single before Tatem Levins’ double put runners on second and third to end Cumming’s night. Tom Kane was summoned from the bullpen and he retired RJ Schreck on a groundout, however Arroyo scored on the play to make it 4–2. Rodden was up next and the Nuts leadoff batter lined a two-run home run to left tying the game 4–4.

After the Giants were set down 1–2–3 in the bottom of the fourth, Modesto kept the pressure on with a five-run top of the fifth. The first five batters of the inning would reach base safely for the Nuts and all five would eventually come home to score. Montes led off with a low line drive to right that deflected off of Bandura’s glove for an error. Tai Peete followed with a single to prompt another pitching change as Trent Harris relieved Kane. Luis Suisbel was up next and he beat out a broken-bat roller to shortstop for another single to load the bases. Arroyo then lined a single into left center bringing home Montes to give Modesto their first lead at 5–4. Another RBI single from Levins followed before Schreck’s sacrifice fly made it 7–4. Two batters later, Farmelo drew a two-out walk to load the bases and then an Emerson line drive single into center plated two more for a 9–4 Nuts cushion. Modesto sent 10 batters to the plate in the top of the fifth scoring five runs on five hits — all singles.

The high-flying Nuts continued to surge in the top of the sixth as Arroyo connected for a two-run home run to left off of Cale Lansville to make it 11–4. Then in the seventh, with Jorge Garcia on the mound, Arroyo’s fifth hit of the game was an RBI single as the Modesto lead grew to 12–4. Levins followed with an RBI groundout to bring home the Nuts’ 13th and final run of the contest.

Modesto reliever Riley Davis earned the win with six scoreless innings. Davis, who entered the game to begin the bottom of the third with the Nuts trailing by three runs, surrendered only two hits (both singles) with one walk and three strikeouts. Davis retired the first 10 batters that he faced.

The Nuts out-hit the Giants by a 17–7 margin. Modesto was 8-for-19 with runners in scoring position compared to 2-for-11 for San Jose. Wishkoski (2-for-4) and Szykowny (2-for-4, 2B) had multi-hit games for the Giants. All four San Jose runs came in the first two innings with the Giants managing only two hits over the final seven frames. San Jose loaded the bases with none out in the bottom of the ninth on an HBP and a pair of walks, but Hill struck out and Velasquez flied out to right with Montes throwing out Drew Cavanaugh at the plate on the play to end the Giants’ season.

Modesto advances to the best-of-three California League Championship Series against either the Inland Empire 66ers or the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes.

San Jose lost in the Division Series for the second straight year (swept by Fresno in 2022). The Giants went 68–64 during the regular season and won the first half North Division title. San Jose reached the playoffs for a fourth consecutive season (2019, 2021–23).

The Giants open the 2024 season on April 5 at Excite Ballpark against the Fresno Grizzlies. Visit sjgiants.com for information on the 2024 schedule and ticket packages.

Season Ends With Game 2 Loss was originally published in Inside the San Jose Giants on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.