STOCKTON, Calif. - The Stockton Ports have outscored their opponents over the last 19 innings 35-1. Following a 22-0 blowout of the Visalia Rawhide on Thursday night, the Stockton Ports showed no signs of slowing down as they walloped the San Jose Giants 12-1 to maintain a share of first
STOCKTON, Calif. - The Stockton Ports have outscored their opponents over the last 19 innings 35-1. Following a 22-0 blowout of the Visalia Rawhide on Thursday night, the Stockton Ports showed no signs of slowing down as they walloped the San Jose Giants 12-1 to maintain a share of first place and eliminate San Jose from playoff contention on Friday night at Banner Island Ballpark.
San Jose's lone highlight of the night came on the game's first pitch as Cristian Paulino hit the first pitch from Evan Manarino (7-8) over the left-center field wall to give the Giants a quick 1-0 lead. Manarino would promptly settle in and go on to toss six total innings and allow just that one run on five hits while striking out three in earning the win.
Stockton's deficit was short-lived as they scored three runs in the bottom of the first inning. Eli White opened the frame with a single and, two batters later, scored on a fielding error committed by second baseman Jalen Miller. After a Seth Brown single, Mikey White drove in Brett Siddall with a double to left field. An ensuing RBI groundout by Branden Cogswell made it a 3-1 Stockton lead.
Giants starter Matt Solter (5-2) would not allow a run over the next three innings but would not see the end of the fifth. Stockton would load the bases with one out on two singles and a walk. Mikey White would ground a two-run double to left to make it 5-1 and chase Solter from the contest. Michael Cederoth came on in relief and gave up a two-run single to Cogswell to make it 7-1. After Argenis Raga reached on an error by third baseman Jonah Arenado, Luis Barrera added to the lead with an infield RBI single. A second error on Arenado two batters later would allow Eli White to reach and another run to score, bringing the Stockton lead to 10-1.
Solter would suffer the loss after allowing seven runs (five earned) on six hits. Cederoth would allow three unearned runs in an inning-and-two-thirds of relief.
Stockton's final blow of the night proved an historic one as Brown came to the plate with one on and two out in the eighth and homered off Rodolfo Martinez to run the Ports lead to 12-1. The home run put Brown in the league lead by himself in that category and gave him 106 RBI on the season, the most by a Stockton player since the Ports became an Oakland A's affiliate in 2005. Brown is now three RBI away from setting a new franchise single-season record.
Joey Wagman pitched a scoreless seventh and Andrew Tomasovich pitched two scoreless frames beginning in the eighth to close out the game for Stockton.
The Ports and Giants play the second game of their four-game set on Saturday night at Banner Island Ballpark. In a battle of left-handers, Dalton Sawyer (5-4, 3.43 ERA) makes the start for Stockton, opposed by San Jose's Conner Menez (6-7, 4.65 ERA). First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. PDT.
