Ports Take Giants to School in 5-0 Matinee Win

SAN JOSE, Calif. — The Stockton Ports blanked the San Jose Giants 5-0 on Tuesday afternoon at Excite ballpark, taking game one of the six-game series for their seventh win in their last eight games.

Tzu-Chen Sha had his best outing as professional, as the 20-year-old pitcher went five innings for the first time in his career and did not allow run. The Taiwan native didn’t allow a hit until there was one out in the fifth, though he did walk three and hit one batter.

Sha got two quick outs to start the game, but then walked two straight on full counts and hit the next batter before getting a fly out to end the first inning. He’d issue a two-out walk in the second inning as well, but would let things get any further for the Giants as he got centerfielder Jonah Cox to ground out to second.

The Ports offense would back up their pitcher from there, as Casey Yamauchi singled to left with one out in the third. He’d steal second before a walk to Ryan Lasko and a base hit by Cole Conn loaded the bases. Luke Mann would ground into a fielder’s choice, but would drive in what would end up the game-winning RBI (16) when Yamauchi crossed home for a 1-0 lead.

After a Nate Nankil walk, Myles Naylor ripped a base hit up the middle to score Lasko and Mann to give him 15 RBIs on the year and put the Ports ahead 3-0. Sha would lock in from there with 1-2-3 innings in the third and fourth. He’d allow a one-out single in the fifth out to left field before an error by Naylor would put two on, but he would get the next two batters to fly out to right to end the threat and get himself through five innings.

Stockton would tack on two more runs in the ninth when Yamauchi and Carlos Franco came in on a two-RBI single to right by Conn for his 13th and 14th RBIs of the year, giving the Ports some breathing room at 5-0.

Jose Dicochea pitched 2.2 innings of shutout ball, allowing a pair of hits with one walk to go along with four strikeouts, and Eduardo Rivera closed it out with a strikeout to seal the win.

UP NEXT:
Steven Echavarria (0-0, 0.00) will make his second professional start on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. against the Giants’ Joe Whitman (0-2, 5.09).

Single game tickets, mini plans, and group outings are all on sale for the 2024 season. For more information, call the Ports front office at 209-644-1900 or email at [email protected].