By CHRIS BRANAM
Staff Writer
SAN JOSE - It seems that San Jose Giants shortstop Wilson Delgado felt his three hits weren't enough to beat the Lancaster JetHawks.
Before it was over, Delgado registered an assist as well.
Thanks to Delgado's scouting report, the Giants' Jesus Ibarra connected for a game-winning solo home run in the bottom of the ninth to lead San Jose to a 6-5 victory over the JetHawks at Municipal Stadium.
Ibarra came into the game with 14 homers this season, and the 24-year-old first baseman hit an organizational-best 34 homers last year at Class A Burlington.
But when he stepped into face Lancaster reliever John Thompson with one out and the score tied at five, Ibarra said he was ready to face fastballs.
Delgado spent his first season as a professional with Seattle before he was traded with Shawn Estes to the Giants for Salomon Torres last year.
"Wilson Delgado knows (Thompson)," Ibarra said, "and he said: `If anybody is going to come at you, it will be this guy.' "
Thompson, who relies mostly on overpowering hitters with a 90 mph fastball, did challenge Ibarra on a 1-0 pitch.
There never was any doubt about Ibarra's homer to right field, even though the fence at Municipal Stadium is 394 feet away in the power alley.
As the 2,487 fans cheered on Ibarra as he completed his trot around the bases, the dejected JetHawks walked slowly off the field.
Lancaster manager Dave Brundage, plopped his hat with a thud onto a desk in the visiting coaches' office.
He was visibly bothered by the JetHawks' third-straight loss that dropped them to 17-20 in the second half and under .500 (53-54) on the season.
Lancaster's season record hasn't been below .500 since June 23.
While the rest of the California League's Southern Division opponents have been treading water or worse (Rancho Cucamonga had lost nine in a row through Friday), the JetHawks have won just four of their last 17 games.
"When you get someone on the ropes, you have to knock them down," said Brundage, a former amateur boxer.
He was talking about Lancaster's inability to score more runs against San Jose starter Joe Fontenot when the former first-round pick obviously didn't have his best stuff.
Lancaster took a 3-0 lead against the right-handed Fontenot in the third, but also left the bases loaded after the Giants had committed two errors in the inning and Fontenot had walked one and hit a batter.
"We put up a three-spot and it should have been more than that," Brundage said.
The JetHawks didn't take advantage, and neither did Lancaster starter Brett Hinchliffe.
Hinchliffe gave up two runs in the third (including a solo homer to Ray Corujo, just his fourth homer in 52 games) and was hurt by the bottom of San Jose's order in the fourth.
The Giants scored three runs with Delgado's RBI double, Edward Guzman's sacrifice fly (Guzman had hit into a double play in the second), and light-hitting second baseman Jose Alguacil's second RBI single in as many at-bats.
Alguacil entered the game with 14 RBI in 64 games.
"(Hinchliffe) didn't have the command he had in his last three outings," Brundage said.
Ibarra's homer off Thompson (1-6) ruined Eric Morgan's clutch pitching in the eighth.
Making his second appearance with the JetHawks, Morgan got out of a bases-loaded situation with two outs by striking out Jon Sbrocco.
Brundage had visited the mound before Morgan faced Sbrocco, usually signaling a pitching change.
But he went with Morgan.
"(Morgan) handled it well," Brundage said. "He said: `I want this last hitter.' "
The JetHawks and Giants conclude their series today at 5 p.m. LHP Trey Moore (3-3, 5.32 ERA) is scheduled to face San Jose's allstar Darin Blood (12-6, 3.15). Lancaster has an off-day Monday.