Ports Prevail In Dramatic 2-0 Victory
MODESTO, Calif. - It took 10 innings, but the Stockton Ports eventually put a pair of runs on the board and it proved to be enough to beat the Modesto Nuts on Saturday night at John Thurman Field. Stockton and Modesto dueled to a scoreless tie into the 10th before Nuts reliever Peter Tago (0-3) issued back-to-back bases-loaded walks that produced the only runs of the game as the Boys of Banner Island earned their fourth straight victory.
Nuts starter Devin Burke scattered two hits over five innings of work as he pitched around three walks and struck out four. Meanwhile, Ports starter Hunter Adkins retired nine batters in a row after issuing a leadoff walk to David Kandilas in the first. Burke pitched five scoreless innings for Modesto and allowed two hits while Adkins tossed six scoreless for Stockton and allowed three hits while walking two and striking out four.
Michael Ynoa came on in relief of Adkins in the seventh and tossed two scoreless innings, allowing one hit while striking out three. Alving Mejias tossed two scoreless innings for Modesto in relief of Burke and pitched around one hit allowed while striking out two.
Tucker Healy (2-1) took over in a scoreless game in the ninth inning and issued back-to-back walks to Sean Dwyer and Will Swanner. Modesto inserted a pinch-runner for Dwyer in Matt Wessinger, who was at second base when Derek Jones lined a single to right field. Dusty Robinson fielded the ball and threw a strike to catcher Bruce Maxwell at the plate who applied the tag on Wessinger on a bang-bang play that resulted in the second out of the inning. Healy went on to strike out Sam Mende to end the inning and send the game to the 10th.
Tago, who'd pitched a scoreless ninth, came back out and pitched the 10th for Modesto. Tago issued a leadoff walk to Aaron Shipman and then gave up a single to Daniel Robertson. After Tago uncorked a wild pitch, he got Renato Nunez to ground out to the shallow-playing shortstop Trevor Story for the first out. After an intentional walk of Matt Olson loaded the bases, Tago walked Ryon Healy and Maxwell back-to-back to bring in a pair of runs and give the Ports a 2-0 lead. Tago was then lifted for Nate Striz, who came on and induced an inning-ending double-play.
Tago suffered the loss, going 1.1 innings and allowing two runs on one hit while walking four.
Healy came back out for bottom of the 10th and gave up a leadoff single to Francisco Sosa. After striking out Juan Ciriaco, Kandilas drew a walk and Chris O'Dowd singled to load the bases with one out. Healy would bear down and record back-to-back strikeouts of Story and pinch-hitter Jordan Ribera to end the ballgame and nail down the victory for Stockton.
Healy was the winning pitcher, going two innings and allowing three hits while walking three and striking out five.
The Ports and Nuts wrap up their three-game series on Sunday afternoon at John Thurman Field. Tim Atherton (3-0, 3.18 ERA) will make the start for Stockton, opposed by Modesto right-hander Ryan Gibbard (0-4, 6.43 ERA). First pitch is set for 1:05 p.m. PDT.