SAN JOSE, Calif. - The Stockton Ports snapped a three-game losing skid on Wednesday night on what was a career night for left-hander Dalton Sawyer (1-1). Sawyer notched his first California League victory as he struck out a career-best 10 in helping the Ports to a 6-3 win over the
SAN JOSE, Calif. - The Stockton Ports snapped a three-game losing skid on Wednesday night on what was a career night for left-hander Dalton Sawyer (1-1). Sawyer notched his first California League victory as he struck out a career-best 10 in helping the Ports to a 6-3 win over the San Jose Giants at Municipal Stadium.
Stockton's offense got off to a fast start in the top of the first. Giants starter Matt Krook (3-7) issued two walks in the inning and with two on and two out, Skye Bolt delivered a two-run single to left that gave the Ports a 2-0 lead.
Chris Bassitt started the game for the Ports on a Major League rehab assignment and pitched a perfect first inning while recording two strikeouts. He threw 17 pitches, 10 for strikes.
Sawyer took over in the second and pitched around singles allowed in the second and third innings. In the fourth, Sawyer yielded a leadoff single to Ronnie Jebavy. Two batters later, Aramis Garcia hit a two-run homer to left, his fourth of the series, that tied the game at 2-2. Sawyer would go on to retire the next eight batters and not allow a run for the remainder of his outing. He earned his first Cal-League victory, going six innings and allowing two runs on five hits while walking a career-best 10 while not issuing a walk.
The Ports grabbed the lead back in the sixth and took advantage of a Giants error to do so. With runners at second and third and two outs, Brett Siddall hit a slow grounder to the right side that got by the glove of second baseman Jalen Miller, an error that allowed two runs to score and make it a 4-2 game.
Krook would suffer the loss after going six innings and allowing four runs (two earned) on three hits while walking three and striking out eight.
Stockton added to its lead in the eighth facing Caleb Simpson, who'd worked a perfect seventh. With one out, Eli White reached on an infield single. Simpson went on to walk Tyler Ramirez and Sandber Pimentel back-to-back and then hit Bolt with the bases loaded to bring in a run. Siddall came up next and drew a bases-loaded walk to make it 6-2 and chase Simpson from the game. He allowed two runs on one hit while walking three in an inning-and-a-third.
Cody Stull came on to pitch the eighth and pitched round a walk and an error in his first frame. Stull worked into the ninth and gave up a leadoff double to Bryan Reynolds. Garcia followed and reached on a fielding error committed by Mikey White that put runners at the corners. Dillon Dobson would provide a sac-fly to center to score Reynolds and make it 6-3, at which point Stull was lifted for Nolan Blackwood (SV, 9). Blackwood would walk Ryan Howard, which put the possible-tying run at the plate. Blackwood struck out Gio Brusa, then got Jonah Arenado to hit a pop-fly to the third baseman Mikey White. White would drop the ball on the infield grass, an error that loaded the bases and brought the possible-winning run to the plate in Miller. Blackwood, though, would strike out Miller to end the ballgame as San Jose left the bases loaded in the ninth. Blackwood notched his ninth save in 10 opportunities.
The Ports and Giants wrap up their four-game set with a matinee on Thursday afternoon at Municipal Stadium. Left-hander Evan Manarino (4-2, 3.21 ERA) returns to Stockton from Double-A Midland to make the start for the Ports, opposed by Giants right-hander Jake McCasland (2-8, 5.23 ERA). First pitch is set for 12:30 p.m. PDT.
