Giants Score Nine Unanswered Runs As Ports Fall 12-6

SAN JOSE, Calif. - A game that began as a back-and-forth contest ended as a one-sided affair on Monday night at San Jose Municipal Stadium. Trailing 6-3 in the bottom of the second, the San Jose Giants scored nine unanswered runs as they defeated the Stockton Ports 12-6 in the opener of a three-game series.

Stockton scored a pair of runs out of the gate on a two-out, two-run single from Josh Whitaker in the first inning off Giants starter Adalberto Mejia.

Ports starter Blake Hassebrock (0-1) gave up three runs in the bottom half of the inning. With one out, Hassebrock hit Elliott Blair on a two-strike pitch. Mac Williamson followed with a single to right and Ryan Cavan came up next and delivered an RBI single to right to make it 2-1. Angel Villalona came up next and grounded out to second, driving in another run to tie the game. San Jose added another run on a wild pitch to take a 3-2 lead.

The Ports retook the lead in the second with four more runs. After Mejia yielded back-to-back walks to open the inning, Wade Kirkland delivered a one-out double to right-center that tied the game at 3-3. Two batters later with two on and two out, Antonio Lamas hit a line-drive three-run homer to right to give the Ports a 6-3 lead.

Mejia would go on to receive a no-decision as he was lifted after 3.2 innings of work, allowing six runs on seven hits while striking out two.

San Jose took control of the contest in the bottom of the third. Williamson led off with a double and Cavan followed with an RBI single to make it 6-5. Viillalona came up next and hit a two-run homer to left that put San Jose in front for good. Two batters later, Eliezer Zambrano singled and Chris Lofton reached on an infield single. With two on and two out, Payne hit a grounder to short that looked like it might end the inning. Shortstop Wade Kirkland, however, made an errant throw to first that allowed both baserunners to score and put the Giants lead at 9-6.

Hassebrock took the loss, going 2.2 innings and allowing nine runs (seven earned) on eight hits while striking out three.

Stockton's offense mustered just three hits, all singles, after the second inning as San Jose's bullpen, a combination of Austin Fleet (1-0), Luis Rojas and Hunter Strickland combined for 4.1 scoreless innings of relief.

San Jose added a run in the sixth as T.J. Walz yielded four walks, one coming with the bases loaded. They also added a run in the eighth on Villalona's second home run of the night off Omar Duran.

The Ports and Giants play the second game of their three-game set on Tuesday at Municipal Stadium. Sean Murphy (2-0, 3.00 ERA) will head to the mound for Stockton, opposed by San Jose right-hander Clayton Blackburn (1-0, 0.82 ERA). First pitch is set for 7 p.m. PDT.