Ports Back On Track With 6-2 Win Over Giants

SAN JOSE, Calif. - On Thursday night in San Jose, the Stockton Ports figured that a win would be the best way to get over lopsided loss of the season a night before. A win is what they got. The Ports withstood a potent San Jose Giants offensive attack and hit two key home runs in a 6-2 win over the Giants to win their fourth straight series and earn their 10th victory in their last 13 games.

The Ports opened the scoring in the top of the first. With two on and one out, Mike Spina drove in Grant Green with a single to right to put Stockton up 1-0.

In the third, Stephen Parker gave the Ports some breathing room with a two-run homer to center to make it a 3-0 advantage.

Both of San Jose's runs on the night came on solo home runs. The first came with two down in the third when Francisco Peguero launched his second blast of the series to put the Giants on the board.

Peguero's solo homer was the only run allowed by Ports starter Fabian Williamson (2-0), who, despite allowing a hit in each of his five-plus innings of work, was able to minimize the damage. Williamson earned the win after going five-plus innings and allowing nine hits while walking two and striking out three.

Leading 3-1, the Ports added a run in the sixth on a leadoff solo home run from Mike Spina, his 18th of the season to make it a 4-1 lead. It was the final run allowed by Giants starter Kyle Nicholson (6-8), who went six innings and allowed four runs on six hits while striking out five.

In the seventh, the Ports got a gift-wrapped run from San Jose. With Jermaine Mitchell at second and two down, Parker hit what looked to be a routine inning-ending grounder to second. Jose Flores fielded the ball cleanly but threw it over the head of first baseman Michael Sandoval, allowing Mitchell to score. The run was unearned for Giants reliever Brian Anderson, the only run that scored in his two innings of relief.

The Giants got their second run in the last of the seventh on a two-out solo home run from Drew Biery-his third in two games-to bring the Giants to within a run at 5-2. It was the only run allowed by Scott Deal in three innings of relief. Deal entered the game in the fifth with two on and nobody out and got Biery to hit into a double-play and Flores to ground out to end the greatest Giants threat of the night.

Stockton tacked on a final run in the ninth on an RBI single from Mitchell of Giants reliever Jason Stoffel to make it a 6-2 ballgame.

Paul Smyth allowed a two-out triple to Peguero in the ninth, but struck out Ehire Adrianza to end the game.

The game was played in front of a crowd of 6,151, the second largest crowd in San Jose Giants history.

The Ports will head to Visalia on Friday to play the second leg of their six-game road trip. Shawn Haviland (6-6, 3.89 ERA) will head to the bump for the Ports, opposed by right-hander Charles Brewer (3-2, 3.82 ERA) for the Rawhide. First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. PDT.