STOCKTON, Calif. - The Stockton Ports matched their season high by hitting three home runs on Thursday night at Banner Island Ballpark. The three big flies helped the Ports to an 8-2 win over the San Jose Giants to open a four-game series as they evened their record versus San
STOCKTON, Calif. - The Stockton Ports matched their season high by hitting three home runs on Thursday night at Banner Island Ballpark. The three big flies helped the Ports to an 8-2 win over the San Jose Giants to open a four-game series as they evened their record versus San Jose to 5-5 on the season.
Stockton's starting pitcher for the game was Chris Bassitt, making his second Major League rehab assignment for the Oakland A's. Bassitt would toss four scoreless innings, allowing two hits while walking one and striking out four. He threw 57 pitches, 35 for strikes.
Giants starter Mike Connolly (2-3) pitched around a first-and-third, one out jam in the third inning. In the fourth, however, he gave up a one-out single to Mikey White followed by a two-run homer to Chris Iriart that put the Ports up 2-0. Two batters later, Santiago Chávez added a solo homer to make it 3-0. The three fourth-inning runs were the only runs allowed by Connolly, who suffered the loss after going five innings, allowing seven hits while striking out six.
Connor Kaden took over for the Giants to begin the sixth inning and gave up a leadoff home run to Skye Bolt that made it a 4-0 Stockton lead.
Evan Manarino (2-1) came on to pitch in the fifth inning and set down the first five batters he faced. The Giants would get back-to-back singles and a walk with two outs in the sixth to load the bases, but Manarino would get a strikeout of Dillon Dobson to escape the jam.
San Jose got on the board in the seventh. With two outs, Manarino gave up a single to Matt Winn followed by an RBI double to Johneshwy Fargas. Fargas would score on an ensuing single by Jalen Miller to cut the Stockton lead to 4-2.
Manarino came back out to pitch the eighth and would give up a single to Daniel Carbonell that put two aboard with two outs. Nolan Blackwood (SV, 3) was summoned from the bullpen and got Jonah Arenado to ground out to end the frame.
Manarino would pick up the win on the night, going 3.2 innings and allowing two runs on a season-high seven hits while striking out three.
Stockton would salt the game away in the eighth. With Kaden on the mound, Tyler Ramirez walked to open the inning, Trent Gilbert singled and Bolt walked to load the bases. White would then hit a two-run single to left to get the Stockton lead to 6-2. Josh Vidales added a two-run single with two outs to make it an 8-2 lead.
Kaden went 2.2 innings for San Jose and allowed five runs on four hits while walking three and striking out two.
Blackwood would pitch around a leadoff single in the ninth and notch his third save of the season.
The Ports and Giants continue their four-game set on Friday night at Banner Island Ballpark. Dustin Hurlbutt (1-1, 2.84 ERA) makes the start for Stockton, opposed by San Jose right-hander Heath Slatton (0-2, 18.62 ERA). First pitch is set for 7:10 p.m. PDT.
