Surging Giants Close Out Homestand With 11–4 Win

The Giants concluded their 12-game homestand Sunday night with an 11–4 victory over the Modesto Nuts at Excite Ballpark. Abdiel Layer homered and drove in five runs while San Jose finished the contest with seven extra-base hits en route to the convincing win. The Giants (19–11) earned their fourth consecutive series victory and have now won eight out of their last ten games overall.

San Jose trailed by a 2–0 margin and were without a hit in Sunday’s game until erupting for five runs in the bottom of the fourth. Luis Toribio started the key rally by blasting the first pitch of the inning to deep left center for a triple. Toribio then immediately scored when the next batter, Luis Matos, singled into left. After Matos stole second, Ricardo Genoves delivered an RBI single into left to tie the game 2–2. Consecutive walks to Marco Luciano and Alex Canario followed to load the bases with none out. Garrett Frechette was up next and he smacked a line drive that was caught by Nuts pitcher Damon Casetta-Stubbs, who alertly doubled-off Genoves at third for the potential game-changing double play. However, Layer then stepped to the plate with runners still on first and second and launched a 2–1 offering from Casetta-Stubbs over the fence in left for an opposite-field three-run homer. The home run, Layer’s team-leading sixth of the season, put the Giants ahead 5–2.

Watch Layer’s tiebreaking homer:

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After reliever Haydn King tossed back-to-back scoreless innings in the fifth and sixth, San Jose would add to their lead. With one out in the bottom of the sixth, Canario reached on an error and then stole second. After Frechette worked a walk, Layer again came through as he grounded a double down the left field line to plate Canario for a 6–2 advantage. Edison Mora followed with an RBI groundout to short as Frechette came home to make it 7–2.

Modesto’s best chance in the late-innings came in the top of the seventh. King returned to the mound for a third inning of relief work and surrendered a leadoff single to Justin Lavey before issuing a one-out walk to Victor Labrada. Austin Reich was then summoned from the bullpen, but he plunked Noelvi Marte to load the bases. Cade Marlowe was up next and he drew a full-count walk to force home Lavey with the first run of the inning. Reich recovered to strikeout the next hitter, Robert Perez Jr., but a passed ball on the catcher Genoves allowed Labrada to score cutting the Giants lead to 7–4. However with the potential tying run at the plate, Reich struck out Trent Tingelstad to end the inning and the Nuts would get no closer.

A four-run bottom of the seventh on four straight two-out RBI hits then pushed the San Jose lead to 11–4. After the first two batters of the frame were retired, Genoves hit a grounder to third that was misplayed by Lavey for an error. And the Giants would make Modesto pay for the miscue. Luciano was up next and laced a double down the left field line to score Genoves all the way from first base with the first run of the inning. Canario then singled home Luciano before Frechette drove an RBI double into the left field corner. Layer then capped the scoring for the night with another double and his fifth RBI as San Jose enjoyed an 11–4 cushion.

Here is Luciano’s RBI double:

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And Layer’s fifth RBI:

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 — @SJGiants

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Wilkelma Castillo closed out the game for the Giants with two hitless innings over the eighth and ninth.

The Giants have won eight out of their last ten games

GIANTS NOTES

San Jose Surging
The Giants won four out of six games in their series with Modesto. The Nuts entered the series with the best record in Low-A West. San Jose posted an 8–4 record on their 12-game homestand, winning eight of the final ten games after starting 0–2.

Quarter Mark Of Season
Following Sunday’s game, the Giants reached the quarter mark of the 2021 season (30 games completed out of 120 on the schedule). San Jose (19–11) is currently tied with Modesto (19–11) for second place in the North Division of Low-A West — one game behind Fresno (20–10) for the top spot. The Grizzlies, Giants and Nuts boast the top three records in the entire league.

Layer’s Big Night
Abdiel Layer finished 3-for-4 at the plate on Sunday with two doubles, a home run and five RBI’s. His six homers this season are tied for the league lead.

Other Hitting Standouts
Luis Toribio (2-for-5, 3B), Luis Matos (2-for-5, 2B, RBI, SB) and Ricardo Genoves (2-for-5, RBI) also had multi-hit games for the Giants. San Jose finished the game with five doubles, one triple and one homer. The Giants were 6-for-14 (.429 AVG) with runners in scoring position.

On The Mound
Kyle Harrison started on the mound for the Giants and pitched four innings with two runs (both earned) allowed. Harrison surrendered four hits, walked four and struck out five during his 80-pitch outing. Both Modesto runs against the left-hander came in the top of the second. Harrison finished his start by retiring six of the final seven batters he faced. Haydn King (2 1/3 IP, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 SO) was credited with the first win of his professional career. Austin Reich (2/3 IP, 0 R, 2 SO) and Wilkelma Castillo (2 IP, 0 R, 2 SO) then combined on 2 2/3 scoreless innings to finish the game.

On Deck
Following an off day, the Giants embark on a 12-game road trip to division rivals Stockton and Modesto. Tuesday’s series opener against the Ports is a 7:05 PM first pitch at Banner Island Ballpark. Prelander Berroa is San Jose’s scheduled starting pitcher.

Surging Giants Close Out Homestand With 11–4 Win was originally published in Inside the San Jose Giants on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.