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The San Jose Giants Victory In Game 4...

Giants win again, force Game 5
Timpner drives in four runs, Bowker adds two RBIs
By Eric Justic / MLB.com

One game will decide the California League Championship Series, thanks to San Jose's 8-7 victory over Lake Elsinore in Game 4 on Sunday at Municipal Stadium.

The Giants fought off elimination for the second night in a row to even the series at 2-2. They avoided a sweep Saturday with a 9-3 triumph.

San Jose won Game 4 by defeating a starter against which it had success during the regular season. Arturo Lopez possessed a 14.73 ERA against the Giants after surrendering six runs in 3 2/3 innings on Aug. 4.

The Giants solved Lopez in this one by scoring five runs in the fourth to build a 7-1 lead. After San Jose loaded the bases on Brian Horwitz's single, Nate Schierholtz's double and a walk to Todd Jennings, John Bowker delivered a two-run single [actually, a 1-run single]. Lopez picked up two quick outs but walked in a run before Clay Timpner clubbed a three-run triple.

Lopez was strong early, needing just 12 pitches to get through two perfect frames. But Bowker crushed the southpaw's first offering in the third off the right field scoreboard and knocking out the lights to signal balls and strikes.

Guillermo Rodriguez followed with a double and Jake Wald hit a fly ball to right fielder Jordan Pickens. Pickens stumbled trying to make the catch as Wald was given a double. Two batters later, Rodriguez scored on Timpner's groundout to give San Jose a 2-0 lead.

Rodriguez also hit a solo homer in the sixth, while Bowker and Horwitz collected three hits apiece.

Lopez (0-1) was charged with seven runs on eight hits and two walks with two strikeouts in five-plus innings.

San Jose starter Jonathan Sanchez (1-0) worked five strong innings for the win, yielding one run on three hits and two walks with six strikeouts. He loaded the bases in the second without allowing a hit, then worked out of trouble.

Colt Morton reached on Jennings' error at third base and Sanchez issued back-to-back four-pitch walks to Juan Ciriaco and Brett Bonvechio. But the left-hander escaped by fanning Andres Pagan and Drew Macias.

Lake Elsinore broke up the no-hitter and the shutout in the fourth on doubles by Pickens and Bonvechio.

The Giants bullpen barely held onto the lead over the final four innings. The Storm rallied for four runs in the sixth as Ciriaco cracked a two-run single and Macias delivered a two-run double. With two outs and two on, Michael Johnson fouled out.

Bonvechio crushed a two-run homer off Joe Bateman with two outs in the ninth to get the Storm within 8-7. But Giants first baseman Pat Dobson reached into the dugout to snare Ciriaco's pop-up as Bateman registered his first save.

The decisive fifth game is at 10 p.m. ET on Monday in San Jose.