From the San Jose Mercury NewsThe San Jose Giants put the finishing touches on a season for the ages Saturday night at Municipal Stadium, completing a sweep of the California League finals with a 4-3 comeback victory over High Desert.
The Cal League title was San Jose's second in three years and its fifth since 1998.
"There is just something about this team, the chemistry,'' third baseman Conor Gillaspie said. "That's what carried us the whole year.''
Much was expected of the Giants when the squad opened the Class A season with an unprecedented accumulation of first-round draft picks and high-profile prospects. Many of those players were gone by midseason, but those who remained didn't disappoint, helping establish a franchise record for regular-season victories with a record-setting second half that spilled into the postseason.
Saturday, the Giants rallied from an early three-run deficit in front of an announced crowd of nearly 3,400. It was their third comeback victory of the posteason, including the deciding fifth game of the North Division series.
"The hallmark of this team has always been when it mattered, we stepped up and got it done,'' said first-year San Jose manager Andy Skeels, who guided Augusta to the South Atlantic League title last season.
Closer Rafael Cova put an exclamation mark on the season Saturday night when, with the potential tying run on third base, he induced a fly ball to center fielder Francisco Peguero for the final out.
From MiLB.comEric Surkamp overcame a rocky start and struck out 12 over eight innings Saturday as the San Jose Giants won the California League championship with a 4-3 victory over the High Desert Mavericks.
Surkamp, San Francisco's sixth-round pick in 2008, surrendered three runs over the first two innings but settled down and retired 13 consecutive batters into the sixth.
"Eric was tremendous. He struggled early on and he had a few choices -- he could have quit or he could buckle down," Giants manager Andy Skeels said. "It was a gutsy performance. That's the sign of a champion and a quality player."
Surkamp (1-1) was promoted to San Jose on Sept. 8 after leading Class A Augusta with 11 wins. He got the start in Game 3 of the North Division Finals and gave up six runs in two innings.
"When I finally got that call, I was excited to help the team win a championship," Surkamp said. "Nothing can beat this. I'll remember this for the rest of my life."
A great season comes to an end for Jim Horner and his group of ex-Rattlers playing out in High Desert. Congratulations to them on the year.
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