Giants Offense Too Much For Ports In 10-5 Loss
SAN JOSE, Calif. - The Stockton Ports had a decent offensive showing on Monday night, but the San Jose Giants had a better one. San Jose plated 10 runs on 15 hits, including four runs in the seventh, as they beat Stockton 10-5 at Municipal Stadium to take two of three in the series.
Ports starter James Simmons (7-4) gave up a single to Brock Bond and a double to Matt Duffy to open the bottom of the first. With runners at second and third, Hector Sanchez came up and hit a sac-fly to left that scored Bond and gave San Jose a quick 1-0 lead.
Stockton fired back in the top of the second as B.A. Vollmuth led off with a double and scored on an ensuing RBI single by Tony Thompson that tied the game. After Bruce Maxwell singled to put two aboard, Dusty Robinson hit into a 5-3 double-play that slowed Stockton's momentum in the inning.
Simmons, beginning with the final out of the second inning, retired six batters in a row to take him two outs deep into the fourth. With two outs and the bases empty, the Giants offense came to life. Devin Harris doubled to right-center and Elliott Blair singled him home to give the Giants a 2-1 lead. Chris Lofton followed with an RBI double down the right field line, and Bond came up next and singled to center to make it 4-1. Duffy came up next and hit an RBI double to left, followed by an RBI single to right form Sanchez to give the Giants a 6-1 advantage as San Jose got five runs on six straight hits all with two outs in the fourth.
Simmons retired seven of the last eight batters he faced but would go on to take the loss, going six innings and allowing six runs on season-high 10 hits while striking out four.
Giants starter Jason Forjet was lifted after 3.2 innings, allowing a run on four hits while striking out four. Edward Concepcion recorded the final out of the fourth and began the fifth by giving up a home run to Rashun Dixon, his 10th of the year. Stockton would go on to load the bases with one out after a Wade Kirkland double, a walk and a hit batter. Jeff Soptic (3-1) came on in relief of Concepcion and issued a walk to Vollmuth with the bases loaded that made it 6-3. Soptic, however, would get Thompson to hit into an inning-ending 5-4-3 double-play.
Soptic went on to pick up the win, tossing 2.2 scoreless innings, allowing one hit while striking out three.
David Mota, who was re-added to the Stockton roster on Sunday, took over for Simmons in the eighth and gave up four straight hits to start the inning, including a three-run homer to Ricky Oropesa that made it a 9-3 Giants lead. Mota allowed an additional run later in the inning on a sacrifice fly by Lofton to make it 10-3. Mota allowed four runs on five hits in his lone inning of work.
Luis Rojas came on to start the eighth and after retiring the first hitter, gave up back-to-back singles to Dusty Robinson and Dixon, followed by a two-run double to Kirkland that cut the Ports deficit to 10-5. After striking out Bobby Crocker, Rojas walked Antonio Lamas and Josh Whitaker and was taken out of the game for Jose Casilla (SV, 4), who retired Vollmuth with the possible-tying run in the on-deck circle to end the inning.
Trailing 10-5 in the ninth, the Ports had Thompson reach on an error to start the inning, followed by a Maxwell single that put two aboard. Casilla got Robinson to fly to right and Dixon to hit into a fielder's choice before walking Kirkland to load the bases. With the possible-tying run again in the on-deck circle, Casilla got Crocker to foul out to first to end the ballgame and earn his fourth save of the season.
After dropping two of three in San Jose, the Ports continue their road trip with a three-game series in Visalia beginning on Tuesday at Recreation Ballpark. Tanner Peters (9-5, 4.27 ERA) makes the start for Stockton, opposed by Visalia left-hander Andrew Barbosa (7-6, 4.60 ERA). First pitch is set for 7 p.m. PDT.