Ramirez Homers Twice, Manarino Shines In 2-0 Win

VISALIA, Calif. - The Stockton Ports got a pair of home runs from Tyler Ramirez and the pitching took care of the rest on Thursday night at Recreation Ballpark. Evan Manarino (4-2) spun seven scoreless innings and Cody Stull (SV, 1) retired all six batters he faced as the Ports took the rubber game of a three-game series by a 2-0 final. It marked Stockton's sixth shutout victory of the season.
The first Ramirez home run came to lead off the fourth inning and came off Rawhide starter Justin Donatella (0-7). It was the only run Donatella allowed in six strong innings. He suffered the hard-luck loss as he allowed four hits and matched a season-high with eight strikeouts.
Manarino, meanwhile, pitched around a two-out double in the first, a two-out single in the second, a pair of singles in the third, and leadoff singles in the fifth and sixth. Manarino would retire the final six batters he faced, part of 12 consecutive Visalia hitters retired to close out the ballgame. Manarino became the first Ports pitcher this season to complete seven innings and earned the win, allowing six hits while striking out six.
Cameron Gann pitched a scoreless seventh and eighth for Visalia before giving way to J.R. Bradley, who made his first appearance of the season to begin the ninth. Bradley was greeted with the second Ramirez homer of the game, a blast over the right-center field fence that gave the Ports an insurance run and a 2-0 advantage.
Stull, who took over to begin the eighth, would go on to retire all six batters he faced to close out the ballgame and earn the save in his first appearance of the season with Stoctkon.
After taking two of three in Visalia, the Ports continue their road trip on Friday as they open a four-game set with the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes. Boomer Biegalski (2-1, 6.00 ERA) starts the series opener for Stockton, opposed by Quakes left-hander Caleb Ferguson (1-2, 3.16 ERA). First pitch at Loan Mart Field is set for 7:05 p.m. PDT.