Stockton Slugs Out 9-4 Win In Lancaster
For the third straight game, the Ports plated runs in their half of the first inning. David Thomas, who was added back to the active roster on Friday, walked to open the contest. Grant Green followed with a two-run homer to left, his sixth of the year, to give the Ports an early 2-0 lead.
After setting the side down in order in the bottom of the first, Ports starter Paul Oseguera (2-2) struggled in the last of the second. Oseguera gave up a one-out single to Freddy Parejo, then an RBI double to Mark Ori to cut Stockton's lead to 2-1. Federico Hernandez followed with an RBI double to right to tie the game at two.
Stockton quickly took the lead back in the third, an inning where they sent nine men to the plate. Michael Richard and Thomas started the frame with back-to-back singles to put runners at the corners. Green came up and hit into a fielder's choice that scored a run to give the Ports the lead back at 3-2. Two batters later with two down, Mike Spina broke out of an 0-for-7 series funk with an RBI double to left to make it 4-2. Jeremy Barfield drew a walk next to put runners at first and second and Tyler Ladendorf followed with an RBI single to center to give the Ports a 5-2 lead and knock JetHawks starter David Duncan (0-2) from the ballgame.
Duncan would be charged with the loss after allowing five runs in 2.2 innings of work. Edwin Walker would be summoned from the bullpen and pitch the next 3.1 innings scoreless for Lancaster.
Oseguera would struggle at the start of the third inning, but find his groove in the same frame. After giving up a leadoff single to Jay Austin, Oseguera yielded back-to-back walks to Albert Cartwright and Brandon Barnes to load the bases. Oseguera would escape the jam with minimal damage, getting Lee Cruz to fly out to shallow left, Parejo to hit a sac-fly to center, and Ori to ground out. Oseguera escaped the third allowing just one run, and Cruz's fly-out to left started a string of 10 in a row retired by Oseguera taking him into the sixth inning.
In the sixth with Stockton leading 5-3, Oseguera walked Parejo with one out, then gave up a double to Ori that scored Parejo and made it a one run game.
Oseguera would be lifted after recording the inning's second out. Scott Hodsdon came on and, with the possible tying run at third, got David Flores to ground out to end the inning. Oseguera earned the win on the night, going 5.2 innings and allowing four runs on five hits while striking out five.
From that point forward, Stockton's bullpen took command of the ballgame as they combined for 3.1 scoreless innings of relief. Hodsdon pitched 1.1 scoreless innings without allowing a hit. Brett Hunter pitched a scoreless eighth and Andrew Carignan set the side down in order in the ninth to end the ballgame.
Stockton's offense came through with insurance runs in each of the last three innings. The Ports took advantage of a JetHawks error in the seventh and tacked on a run on a sac-fly from Spina to put the lead at 6-4. In the eighth, a two-out RBI single from Thomas made it a 7-4 ballgame. Both of those runs came off JetHawks reliever Kyle Godfrey who pitched two innings in relief.
In the ninth, Spina delivered the crushing blow with his 13th home run of the year-a two-run blast off Brian Wabick to give the Ports their largest lead of the night at 9-4.
The Ports will go for their third straight win on Saturday night at Clear Channel Stadium. Kenny Smalley (2-5, 6.19 ERA) will take the bump for Stockton, opposed by right-hander Ross Seaton (3-8, 5.83 ERA) for Lancaster. First pitch is set for 7 p.m. PDT.