Peters Pitches Ports To 4-2 Victory
STOCKTON, Calif. - On most occasions, a team won't win a game in which they leave 13 men stranded and go 3-for-15 with runners in scoring position. The Stockton Ports, though, with help from starting pitcher Tanner Peters (10-5), were able to overcome those stats and defeat the San Jose Giants by a final of 4-2 at Banner Island Ballpark. The win gives Stockton a series victory and also gets them back to the .500 mark at 54-54 on the season.
The Ports struck for a pair of early runs in the first inning. With one on and two out, B.A. Vollmuth hit his 20th home run of the season, a two-run shot to left that gave Stockton a 2-0 lead. Stockton increased its lead to 3-0 in the third as Addison Russell led off with a single and scored two batters later on an RBI double by Bobby Crocker. Stockton would go on to load the bases with one out in the inning, but not add any additional runs.
Giants starter Jason Forjet (3-2) suffered the loss after going four innings and allowing three runs on five hits while walking three and striking out one.
Peters kept the Giants out of the run column over the first three innings, but gave up a leadoff home run to Matt Duffy in the fourth that cut the Ports lead to 3-1. Peters went on to retire the next eight batters in a row.
San Jose crept closer in the seventh as Peters issued a one-out walk to Ryan Cavan. With two outs, the Giants got back-to-back singles from Elliott Blairi and Eric Sim, with Sim's driving in Cavan to make it 3-2. With runners at the corners and two outs, Peters got Myles Schroder to ground out to first to end the inning and his outing.
Peters picked up his team-leading 10th win of the season, going seven innings and allowing two runs on four hits while striking out seven.
After Danny Sandbrink pitched two scoreless innings for the Giants, Chris Marlowe took over in the seventh and pitched around a bases-loaded jam. In the eighth, Marlowe walked Russell to open the frame and with Russell at second, faced Crocker. Crocker hit a comebacker to the mound that went off the glove off Marlowe and behind the mound. Marlowe retrieved the ball and made an errant throw to first as the ball went out of play, allowing Russell to score and Crocker to reach second, giving Stockton a 4-2 advantage.
After Tucker Healy set the side down in order in the eighth, Ryan Dull (SV, 6) came on to work the ninth and gave up a leadoff double to Ricky Oropesa. Dull, though, struck out the next three batters in order to close out the ballgame and earn his sixth save in as many opportunities.
Russell, who made his return to the lineup after being sidelined since July 17th with a hand injury, went 3-for-4 with two runs scored.
Following a day off on Monday, the Ports begin a six-game road trip with a three-game series at High Desert starting on Tuesday. First pitch for Tuesday's game is set for 7:05 p.m. PDT in Adelanto.