Season-High 19 Hits Carry Ports To 11th Straight Win

SAN JOSE, Calif. - At times the Stockton Ports have struggled offensively during the 2011 season. Saturday night was not one of those occasions at San Jose Municipal Stadium. The Ports banged out a season-high 19 hits and took advantage of a season-high five errors committed by the San Jose Giants to earn their 11th straight victory by a final of 9-7. In winning Saturday's contest, the Ports have won their first series of the season versus the Giants.

It was San Jose on the board with the game's first run in the 2nd. James Simmons tripled to left-center field with one out and scored when Michael Choice's throw towards third went into the Ports dugout, awarding Simmons the plate and giving the Giants a 1-0 lead.

Stockton took their first lead of the game in the 4th. With one out, Ryan Lipkin doubled to left and Leonardo Gil followed with an RBI single to center to make it a 1-1 game. Two batters later, Conner Crumbliss singled to right to give the Ports a 2-1 lead. Myrio Richard followed with a single to right to score Dusty Coleman and Michael Gilmartin followed with a sac-fly to right to make it a 4-1 game.

San Jose cut the deficit to a run in the 4th on a two-run homer from Jose Flores off Ports starter A.J. Griffin to make it a 4-3 ballgame.

Griffin would go just four innings, his shortest outing of the season. He received a no-decision after allowing three runs (two earned) on five hits while striking out four.

The Ports would get to Giants starter Kelvin Marte in the 5th. With Rashun Dixon at first base and one out, Ryan Lipkin hit a double toward the wall in left field. The throw in to third was cut off by Giants shortstop Juan Ciriaco, who fired a throw to second to try and get Lipkin. The throw went into right field, an error that allowed Dixon to score and make it a 5-3 lead. Two batters later, Coleman hit a two-out double to left-center to score Lipkin and increase the Ports lead to 6-3.

Marte would receive a no-decision, going five innings and allowing six runs on a season-high 12 hits while striking out three.

San Jose would come through with their biggest inning of the night in the 5th. With Scott Deal (3-1) on the hill, Jarrett Parker reached on a fielding error committed by Coleman. Alex Burg followed with a double to put runners at second and third, and Parker scored on a wild pitch to make it 6-4. Ryan Cavan followed with an RBI single to center to cut the Ports lead to 6-5. Cavan would later score on a fielder's choice hit into by Flores to tie the game at 6-6.

The Ports took the lead back in the 6th against Giants reliever Jake Dunning (5-2). Dunning gave up a leadoff double to Richard and after a throwing error by Dunning on a pick-off attempt moved Richard to third, Gilmartin knocked an RBI single to right to give Stockton the lead back at 7-6. Two batters later, after an error put two aboard, Ryan Ortiz laced an RBI single to center to make it an 8-6 Ports advantage.

Dunning would take the loss on the night, going 2.1 innings and allowing two runs on five hits while striking out three.

The Giants would get one final run off Deal in the 6th. With two on and one out, Josh Lansford came into the game and gave up an RBI single to Burg. The run was charged to Deal and the Giants cut the deficit to a run at 8-7. With runners at the corners and one out, Lansford would get an inning-ending 6-3 double-play ball off the bat of Cavan to preserve the one-run lead.

Deal would pick up the win, going 1.1 innings and allowing four runs (two earned) on three hits while striking out three.

The hit from Burg in the 6th would be San Jose's final one of the night. Beginning with the double-play, Ports pitchers combined to retire 10 of the final 12 hitters of the game.

Lansford tossed 1.2 scoreless innings of relief. Jose Guzman (SV, 12) came on to pitch the 8th and pitched around a two-out error that put the possible-tying run at second base with two outs.

The Ports added an insurance run in the 9th on a two-out RBI single from Crumbliss to make it a 9-7 lead. Guzman came back out for the 9th and struck out the side, pitching around a two-out walk and getting Tommy Joseph swinging to end the ballgame.

Richard, Lipkin and Crumbliss all went 3-for-5 for Stockton. Gilmartin and Crumbliss each had two RBI on the night.

Stockton and San Jose will wrap up their four-game set on Sunday at Municipal Stadium. Rob Gilliam (7-4, 4.60 ERA) will head to the bump for the Ports, opposed by Giants right-hander and the California League's ERA leader Craig Westcott (8-0, 2.09 ERA). First pitch is set for 5 p.m. PDT.