Five-Run Ninth Stuns Ports In Heartbreaking Loss To Nuts

Stockton, CA – The Modesto Nuts pounded out 20 hits and scored five runs in the top of the ninth inning to come from behind and defeat the Ports 12-8 on Friday night at Banner Island Ballpark.

For the second straight night, the Nuts (2-0) jumped ahead 2-0 in the first inning against Stockton starter Paul Blackburn. A Cole Young single and a Gabriel Gonzalez double to start the contest put runners on second and third with nobody out for Josh Hood, who reached on an infield single to score Young from third base to make it 1-0. Gonzalez then scored on a Gabriel Moncada sacrifice fly to give Modesto a 2-0 lead.

The Ports (0-2) rallied back in the bottom of the first. A Brennan Milone walk, two passed balls and a Clark Elliott single put runners on second and third with nobody out. After a strikeout, Darlyn Montero bounced a single through the right side to score both runners, tying the game at two. Brayan Buelvas followed with a triple on a 1-1 pitch to drive home Montero from first base to put the Ports in front 3-2.

After tying the game at there with an unearned run in the second, the Nuts again capitalized on a Stockton miscue to take the lead in the top of the third. A throwing error allowed Milkar Perez to reach to begin the frame, and Bill Knight and Tatem Levins followed with back-to-back doubles to score two runs, giving Modesto a 5-3 lead.

Down 7-4 after the top of the sixth, the Ports once again battled back. Buelvas led off the bottom of the sixth with a single to center and went from first to third on a fielding error by Modesto second baseman Josh Hood to put runners on the corners with nobody out. Buelvas then scored when T.J. Schofield-Sam lifted a sacrifice fly to left field to cut the Modesto lead to 7-5.

Stockton then reclaimed the lead in the bottom of the seventh. Nuts reliever Jarod Bayless began the inning by hitting Milone and Elliott to put two runners on for Colby Thomas who swatted his first career home run, a three-run shot to right field, to make it 8-7 Stockton.

The score remained 8-7 until the top of the ninth when Modesto put together their game-winning rally. The inning started with a Knight single up the middle off Stockton reliever Pedro Santos. After an errant pickoff throw allowed Knight to go from first to third, Tatem Levins tied the game with an RBI single to left field. Pinch runner Miguel Perez advanced to second on a wild pitch and to third with one out on a fly out to center field. After a walk to Young, Santos was lifted in favor of Vince Reilly who walked Gonzalez to load the bases. Hood then followed with a grand slam down the left field line to give the Nuts a 12-8 lead.

The Ports put two runners on with one out in the ninth inning, but Luis Marinez bounced into a double play to end the ballgame.

Nuts lefty Holden Laws (1-0) got the win allowing just one hit over two shutout innings of relief, while Santos (0-1) took the loss for Stockton surrendering three runs on two hits in 0.2 innings.

The Ports will look to salvage the final game of the season-opening three-game series against the Nuts on Saturday at Banner Island Ballpark with first pitch at 7:05 pm. Tickets are available at stocktonports.com.