Ports Drop Playoff Opener To Giants 7-2

SAN JOSE, Calif. - The Stockton Ports struggled once again on Wednesday night to figure out a pitcher who's owned them all season in San Jose Giants right-hander Jason Forjet (1-0). Forjet allowed just one run in five innings and the Giants offense built him a big lead as San Jose cruised to a 7-2 win over Stockton to open the best-of-three North Division Mini-Series. Stockton will face elimination in Game 2 of the series when it shifts to Banner Island Ballpark on Thursday night.

San Jose opened the scoring in the second inning. With the bases loaded and one out following two singles and an error, Brandon Bednar drove in the first run of the game with an RBI single to right. Ports starter Dylan Covey (0-1) went on to induce an inning-ending double-play, the first of three straight innings in which Covey induced a twin-killing.

The Giants saw their lead grow to 3-0 in the third on a two-run single by Angel Villalona following hits by Chuckie Jones and Daniel Carbonell.

After getting hits in each of the first four innings but being denied a run by Forjet, the Ports finally broke through in the fifth. With Melvin Mercedes on first base and two outs, Franklin Barreto doubled to deep center field to plate Mercedes and cut the Giants lead to 3-1. It was the only run allowed by Forjet as he went on to pick up the win, going five innings and allowing six hits while striking out seven.

San Jose got the run back plus one in the bottom of the fifth. Singles by Jones, Seth Harrison and Christian Arroyo opened the inning with Arroyo driving in Harrison to get the San Jose lead back to three runs at 4-1. The hit also knocked Covey from the game as Lou Trivino came on in relief. With runners at first and second and nobody out, Trivino induced a comebacker to the mound off the bat of Carbonell. Trivino, trying to start a double-play, threw high to second and the ball wound up in center field, allowing another run to score to make it a 5-1 Giants lead. Trivino would then go on to retire six batters in-a-row to complete two scoreless innings.

Covey suffered the loss, going four-plus innings and allowing five runs (four earned) on 10 hits while striking out two.

Sam Roberts took over for the Ports in the seventh and, after retiring the first two batters of the frame, saw Carbonell reach on a throwing error committed by the third baseman Mercedes. Villalona came up next and delivered a two-run homer to left to make it a 7-1 San Jose lead. Both runs were unearned for Roberts who pitched two-thirds of an inning. Carlos Navas pitched an inning-and-a-third to close out the game for Stockton.

Stockton's final run of the night came in the eighth. After two perfect innings worked by Tyler Rogers beginning in the sixth, Carlos Diaz took over in his San Jose debut for the eighth and gave up back-to-back singles to Barreto and Brett Vertigan that put runners at the corners with nobody out. Yairo Munoz would then hit into a double-play that brought a run in to make it 7-2.

Jake Smith pitched a perfect ninth inning to close out the game for the Giants.

With the Ports facing elimination, the best-of-three series shifts to Banner Island Ballpark on Thursday for Game 2. Daniel Mengden makes the start for Stockton, opposed by San Jose left-hander Andrew Suarez. First pitch is set for 7:10 p.m. PDT.