Outrageous Offense Lifts Ports Over Giants 17-6
SAN JOSE, Calif. - The Stockton Ports rang in Independence Day with a bang on Friday night at San Jose Municipal Stadium. The Boys of Banner Island plated a season-high 17 runs and banged out a season-high 18 hits en route to a 17-6 rout of the San Jose Giants amidst the buzz of a trade that sent Ports outfielder Billy McKinney to the Chicago Cubs in exchange for pitchers Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel.
Stockton opened the scoring in the first inning as Daniel Robertson started the game with a double to right. Colin Walsh advanced Robertson to third on a ground out to second and Matt Olson grounded out to first to bring Robertson home and give the Ports a 1-0 advantage.
The Ports increased their lead to 2-0 in the second. With the bases loaded and one out, Robertson lined a sac-fly to right field to plate Boog Powell, who singled to open the frame.
The Ports broke the game wide open in the fifth when they sent 13 men to the plate. With one out, Robertson and Colin Walsh drew back-to-back walks and Olson drove in Robertson with an RBI double to right. Renato Nunez and Ryon Healy followed with back-to-back RBI singles to make it 5-0 and knock Giants starter Chris Stratton (5-8) from the contest. Ryan Bradley came on in relief and issued a walk to Powell, followed by back-to-back RBI singles by Bobby Crocker and Ryan Gorton. Robertson added a two-run single in the frame as the Ports plated eight runs in the inning to make it a 10-0 advantage.
Stratton suffered the loss, going 4.1 innings and allowing seven runs on six hits while walking four and striking out three.
The Giants scored their first three runs off Ports starter Jake Sanchez (2-0) in the bottom of the fifth on a fielder's choice hit into by Brandon Bednor, a sac-fly by Elliott Blair and an RBI double by Alberto Robles to make it 10-3. Because of a fielding error committed by Robertson in the inning, two of the three runs were unearned for Sanchez.
Bradley worked into the sixth where the Ports followed their eight-run inning with a seven-run frame. Nunez led off by belting his 18th home run of the season to make it 11-3. After Healy singled, Bradley recorded two outs in a row but again ran into trouble. Gorton singled, Aaron Shipman lined an RBI single to center, and Robertson hit a three-run homer to left to give the Ports a 15-3 advantage. After Colin Walsh walked, Olson hit a two-run homer to right to make it 17-3 and chase Bradley from the game.
Bradley went an inning-and-a-third and allowed 10 runs on 10 hits while walking two.
The Giants scored three more runs in the seventh off Sanchez on a two-run double by Alberto Robles and an RBI single by Chuckie Jones to make it 17-6. Sanchez would complete the seventh inning and go on to pick up the win, allowing six runs (four earned) on eight hits while striking out five.
Michael Ynoa pitched the final two innings scoreless for Stockton while not allowing a hit and striking out two.
Robertson went 3-for-4 with 6 RBI and three runs scored. Olson went 2-for-6 with 3 RBI while Nunez went 2-for-5 with two RBI. Gorton went 3-for-6 with 3 RBI and two runs scored.
The Ports and Giants play the second game of their four-game series on Saturday night at Municipal Stadium. Tim Atherton (6-2, 5.04 ERA) will make the start for Stockton, opposed by San Jose right-hander Kendry Flores (3-5, 4.84 ERA). First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m. PDT.