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| On Deck: Bakersfield at San Jose |
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5/31/2007
Bakersfield Blaze (23-30) at San Jose Giants (30-22)
Paul Oseguera will start the series-opener
on the mound Thursday evening
(photo by Barry Colla) |
At Municipal Stadium
• Thursday, May 31st at 7:00 PM
• Friday, June 1st at 7:00 PM
• Saturday, June 2nd at 5:00 PM
Pitching Match Ups
• Thursday – Michael Schlact (3-2, 5.01) at Paul Oseguera (3-2, 3.02)
• Friday – Bear Bay (3-3, 4.15) at Ronnie Ray (4-2, 5.36)
• Saturday – Andrew Walker (2-6, 5.98) at Gregorio Martinez (3-3, 5.09)
THE SAN JOSE GIANTS…continue their homestand Thursday evening with the opener of a three-game series against the Bakersfield Blaze. The Giants, at 30-22, own a 2 1/2 game lead on the Modesto Nuts (28-25) and a three-game lead on the Stockton Ports (27-25) in the First Half North Division race. San Jose salvaged the final game of their series against Stockton on Tuesday with a dramatic 2-1 victory avoiding their first home sweep of the season.
Looking For a .500 Month…The Giants are just 13-14 during May with Thursday’s series-opener concluding the month. San Jose is hitting only .224 as a team during May to fall to ninth in the California League in batting average. San Jose went 17-8 in April to set a franchise record for victories in the opening month of a season.
Sitting Atop The Division…San Jose has owned the top spot in the North Division since Opening Day this season. In fact, the Giants have been in first place in the North Division during the First Half for 165 straight days dating back to April 29, 2005. After a slow start, San Jose won the First Half title in ’05 en route to the California League championship. Last season, the Giants went wire-to-wire to win the division crown while they’re attempting to accomplish the same feat in 2007. First Half division winners clinch a playoff berth and a first round bye.
Roster Moves…The Giants made a number of roster moves at the beginning of this series. Pitcher Dave McKae and outfielder Alex Requena were promoted to Connecticut (AA) while pitcher Darren Sack joined the club from the Defenders and outfielder Ben Copeland has been activated from the disabled list. McKae, a 25-year old right-hander, excelled during his stint in the California League posting a 5-1 record and 1.93 ERA in 11 starts. McKae is fourth in the league in earned run average and tied for second in strikeouts (58). Requena started the year in Double-A before hitting .296 in 19 games with the Giants. The speedster delivered the game-winning single in the ninth inning in Tuesday’s win over Stockton. Sack, San Jose’s Co-Pitcher of the Year in 2006, was struggling in Connecticut with an 8.39 ERA and 2-5 record in nine starts. Last season, the 24-year old right-hander compiled a spectacular 1.94 ERA and 7-3 record in 83 1/3 innings pitched with the Giants. Meanwhile, Copeland returns to the club after suffering a strained oblique muscle during a game at Rancho Cucamonga on April 23. The left fielder was hitting .286 with two home runs and 17 RBI in 18 games before his injury.
Bakersfield Blaze…The Blaze, an affiliate of the Texas Rangers, enter the series in last place in the North Division with a 23-30 record – 7 1/2 games behind the Giants. Bakersfield split a four-game series with High Desert earlier this week and is making their first visit to San Jose this season. The Blaze are near the bottom of the league with a .252 team batting average, but do feature three top power hitters in their lineup. Outfielder John Mayberry, Jr. (.234 AVG) paces the California League with 15 home runs while third baseman Chris Davis (.262 AVG, 10 HR, 38 RBI) and catcher Taylor Teagarden (.333, 9 HR, 26 RBI) round out an impressive middle of the order. Mayberry, a first round draft pick in 2005, played his college baseball locally at Stanford University. On the mound, the Blaze are ninth in the league with a 5.55 ERA. Friday starting pitcher Bear Bay defeated the Giants on May 5 with seven scoreless innings. It was Bakersfield’s only win against San Jose in the three-game series.
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