Ports Drop Rubber Match To Giants 6-4

STOCKTON, Calif. - After taking the opener of a three-game series with the San Jose Giants, the Stockton Ports dropped the final two games. The Giants scored a combined five runs between the fourth and fifth innings as they beat the Ports by a final of 6-4 before a crowd of 5,169 on Thursday afternoon at Banner Island Ballpark.

San Jose drew first blood in the second inning as Ben Turner singled to center with runners at the corners and two outs to give the Giants a 1-0 lead.

Stockton took a brief lead in the bottom of the third. With one out, the Ports got four straight singles, the last two coming from Matt Olson and Ryon Healy to drive in a pair of runs and make it a 2-1 ballgame.

The Giants reclaimed the lead in the fourth with their biggest inning of the afternoon. Brett Krill doubled to open the frame and Blake Miller followed and reached on a fielding error committed by third baseman Renato Nunez that put runners at the corners. Brian Ragira came up next and hit an RBI double to right that scored Krill and tied the game at 2-2. Chuckie Jones followed with a sac-fly to center to give the Giants the lead back at 3-2. With two away, Trevor Brown singled to center to drive in Ragira and extend the San Jose lead to 4-2.

The Ports got a run back in the bottom of the fourth as Aaron Shipman led off with a home run to right, his first professional homer, to cut the Ports deficit to a run at 4-3. Following the home run, Giants starter Joe Biagini (2-2) went on to retire the final six batters he faced to complete his outing.

Biagini earned the win, going five innings and allowing three runs on six hits while striking out four.

The Giants got to Ports starter Hunter Adkins (0-2) in the fifth as Mitch Delfino homered to right with one out to extend the San Jose lead to 5-3 and knock Adkins from the game. Omar Duran took over and walked Krill to start his outing. Krill would later score on a wild pitch to make it a 6-3 Giants lead.

Adkins suffered the loss, going 4.1 innings and allowing five runs (three earned) on eight hits while striking out two. Duran allowed just the one run in 1.2 innings of relief. Kris Hall and Tucker Healy combined for three scoreless innings to close out the game for Stockton.

Taylor Rogers came on to pitch the sixth and tossed two scoreless frames in relief while Tyler Mizenko pitched a scoreless eighth. Steven Okert (SV, 10) came on to record his second save in as many games in the ninth. Okert walked Dusty Robinson to open the inning and then gave up a single to Shipman that put runners at the corners. Bobby Crocker would hit into a double-play that allowed Robinson to score to make it 6-4. After Daniel Robertson singled with two outs, Okert got Chad Pinder to ground out to second to end the ballgame.

After dropping two of three to the Giants, the Ports host the Bakersfield Blaze on Friday night to begin a four-game series at Banner Island Ballpark. Tim Atherton (3-0, 3.56 ERA) makes the start for Stockton, opposed by Bakersfield right-hander Drew Cisco (1-2, 5.19 ERA). First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. PDT.