Mavs End Six-Game Skid, Beat Ports 4-3

STOCKTON, Calif. - For the first time this season, the Stockton Ports found themselves on the losing side of the ledger in a game with the High Desert Mavericks. The Ports, who'd won the first five meetings with the Mavericks, saw a 2-0 lead disappear as the High Desert scored the final four runs of the ballgame to send Stockton to a 4-2 loss at Banner Island Ballpark.

The Ports jumped into the run column first as Daniel Robertson doubled to open the bottom of the first inning and Addison Russell followed with a single that put runners at the corners. Matt Olson came up next and struck out, but on the third strike Russell stole second and the throw down from catcher Tyler Marlette skipped away from second baseman Tyler Smith, an error that enabled Robertson to score from first and give the Ports a 1-0 lead.

Stockton stretched its lead to 2-0 in the second. With two on and two out, Russell lined a single to right-center to score Ryan Gorton.

Mavericks starter Min-Sih Chen hit a batter and walked two while recording just one out in the third and left the game with the bases loaded as Brett Shankin was summoned from the bullpen. Shankin was able to get Gorton to fly out to shallow left field and strike out Robertson to escape the jam.

Chen received a no-decision, going 2.1 innings and allowing two runs on four hits while walking four and striking out four.

High Desert plated its first run in the fourth inning. Gabriel Guerrero and Jordy Lara hit back-to-back singles with one out to put runners at the corners. With two outs in the frame, Tim Lopes reached on an infield single that scored Guerrero and made it 2-1.

The one run in the fourth was the only run allowed by Ports starter Chris Lamb, who received a no-decision after going five innings and allowing six hits while walking two and striking out three.

The Mavericks tied the game in the sixth on a two-out solo home run hit by Tim Lopes off Ports reliever Josh Bowman. It was the only run allowed by Bowman in his lone inning of work.

Jeremy Barfield (3-1) took over in the seventh and issued a one-out walk to Tyler Smith, who went on to steal second. With two outs in the inning, Guerrero singled to center to score Smith and give the Mavericks their first lead at 3-2. Barfield then walked Lara and allowed an RBI single to right to Tyler Marlette that made it a 4-2 contest, at which point Barfield was lifted for Omar Duran, who struck out Lopes to end the inning.

Barfield suffered his first loss of the season, allowing two runs on two hits in two-thirds of an inning.

Mavericks reliever Brett Shankin (3-1) picked up the win as he tossed 3.2 scoreless innings in relief of Chen, allowing just one hit while striking out three.

Grady Wood (SV, 3) came on to start the seventh in relief of Shankin and pitched a scoreless seventh and eighth. In the ninth, Wood gave up a leadoff single to Ryon Healy that got the possible-tying run to the plate. Two batters later with one out, Billy McKinney lined an RBI double to the right field corner to score Healy and cut the Mavericks lead to 4-3. After Dusty Robinson struck out, Bobby Crocker came to bat and reached on an infield single that put runners at the corners. Gorton came up next and struck out looking to end the ballgame as Wood earned his third save of the season.

Stockton stranded 15 base runners in the contest, a season-high in a nine inning ballgame. Russell, in his first game back with Stockton, played seven innings and went 2-for-3 with two singles and an RBI.

The Ports and Mavericks wrap up their four-game series on Monday night at Banner Island Ballpark. Hunter Adkins (1-3, 5.51 ERA) makes the start for Stockton, opposed by High Desert left-hander Scott DeCecco (2-5, 6.88 ERA).