Mengden Masterful For Ports In 5-3 Win
LANCASTER, Calif. - Facing a team that he was a part of just three days ago, newly acquired Stockton Ports right-hander Daniel Mengden (3-1) made a big first impression as an Oakland A's farmhand on Saturday night at The Hangar. Mengden retired the first 14 batters he faced and 15 of 17 total while matching a career-high with eight strikeouts as he helped Stockton to a 5-3 victory over the Lancaster JetHawks.
Stockton opened the scoring in the second as Jake Nottingham drew a one-out walk and scored on an ensuing double by B.J. Boyd that gave Stockton the initial 1-0 lead.
The Ports added to their lead and delivered a decisive blow in the fifth inning. With two outs and the bases empty, Branden Cogswell and Tyler Marincov hit back-to-back singles to set the stage for Matt Chapman, who delivered a three-run homer to center to increase the Stockton lead to 4-0. For Chapman, the homer marked his 20th of the season and his eighth in July.
JetHawks starter Edison Frias (8-4) would suffer the loss after going 5.2 innings and allowing four runs on six hits while walking three and striking out six.
Meanwhile, Mengden was perfect through four-and-two-thirds. Facing J.D. Davis with two outs in the fifth on a 3-2 pitch, Mengden saw his perfect game broken up by a solo home run to left-center that cut the Ports lead to 4-1. Mengden, though, would finish the inning and pick up the victory in his first start as an A's farmhand, going five innings and allowing one run on one hit while striking out eight.
Pat Venditte, on a Major League rehab assignment and pitching exclusively left-handed, tossed a perfect sixth inning and recorded a pair of strikeouts. Venditte threw 14 pitches, 12 for strikes.
Lancaster sheared a run off its deficit in the seventh facing Lou Trivino. Trivino gave up a leadoff single to Jamie Ritchie who advanced to second on a groundout, third on a wild pitch and scored on an RBI groundout by Ronnie Mitchell to make it a 4-2 game. It was the only run allowed by Trivino in his lone inning of work.
Stockton got the run back in the top of the eighth. JetHawks reliever Albert Minnis issued a leadoff walk to Boyd and, two batters later, walked Beau Taylor to put two aboard and end his outing. Jordan Mills entered from the bullpen and gave up a two-out RBI single to Brett Vertigan that increased the Stockton lead to 5-2. The run was charged to Minnis and was the only run he allowed in an inning-and-two-thirds.
Corey Walter entered to pitch the eighth and, after retiring the first two batters, saw Marc Wik reach on a throwing error committed by shortstop Melvin Mercedes that extended the inning. James Ramsay followed and hit a weak grounder towards Mercedes, who fielded and threw late to first. The ball bounced away from the first baseman Michael Soto and the play was ruled a hit and an error as the throwing error allowed Wik to score to make it 5-3. The run was unearned for Walter and the only run allowed in his only inning of relief.
Brendan McCurry (SV, 21), who notched the save in Friday night's contest with a perfect ninth inning, worked a perfect ninth inning for the second time in as many nights to notch his league-leading 21st save of the season.
The Ports and JetHawks play the finale of their four-game set on Sunday at The Hangar. Kyle Finnegan (6-6, 5.34 ERA) makes the start for Stockton, opposed by Lancaster right-hander Austin Chrismon (3-2, 4.13 ERA). First pitch is set for 5 p.m. PDT.