Ports Stumble In Finale, Lose 5-3

SAN JOSE, Calif. - For a second straight game, the Stockton Ports suffered from a lack of late offense at Municipal Stadium. The San Jose Giants hit up Ports starter James Simmons (5-3) for five runs on nine hits allowed on their way to a 5-3 win over Stockton as they took three of four games in the series.

Stockton's offense got off to a fast start as Bobby Crocker singled to open the ballgame and stole second. Addison Russell followed with a single that put runners at the corners and set up Max Muncy for a sac-fly to center that gave the Ports a 1-0 lead. Stockton's first run came off San Francisco Giants reliever Santiago Casilla, who made the start for San Jose on Major League rehab and gave up a run on two hits in his lone inning of work.

The Giants answered with their first run in the bottom of the first. Skyler Stromsmoe led off with a single, stole second and went to third as second baseman Wade Kirkland missed the throw from catcher Bruce Maxwell. Stromsmoe scored on a sac-fly from Brock Bond to tie the game at 1-1.

San Jose took the lead in the second. With one out, Bobby Haney singled, Shawn Payne doubled and Eliezer Zambrano drove in Haney with a sac-fly to left field to make it 2-1. Two batters later, Kelby Tomlinson hit a two-out RBI single to center to give San Jose a 3-1 advantage.

After Jose Casilla pitched a scoreless second, Ty Blach (8-3) came on to pitch the third and gave up a one-out homer to Crocker that brought Stockton to within a run at 3-2. Blach, though, would retire the next eight straight batters and allow just three more hits over five innings pitched as he went on to receive the win in the ballgame.

The Giants got the run back immediately as Mac Williamson homered to lead off the bottom of the third to re-up the San Jose lead to 4-2.

Simmons retired nine of his next 10 batters after allowing the homer to Williamson. Myles Schroder led off the sixth inning with a single, stole second and went to third on an error. Schroder would score on a one-out RBI single by Payne that increased the Giants lead to 5-2. Simmons was lifted from the game at that point as the Ports turned to Blake Hassebrock who went on to retire five of the six batters he faced over an inning-and-a-third scoreless relief.

Simmons suffered the loss, going 5.1 innings and allowing five runs on a season-high nine hits while striking out four.

Stockton got a leadoff double in the seventh from B.A. Vollmuth and an ensuing RBI single from Myrio Richard to cut their deficit to 5-3, but Blach would get through the rest of the inning without any further trouble. Stockton was held hitless the remainder of the game.

Bryce Bandilla pitched a scoreless eighth and Josh Osich (SV, 12) earned the save as he pitched a perfect ninth inning.

The Ports continue their road trip on Monday as they kick off a three-game series with the Visalia Rawhide at Recreation Park. Left-hander Shaeffer Hall (1-3, 6.21 ERA) will make the start for Stockton, opposed by Visalia right-hander Conrad Flynn (5-3, 5.64 ERA). First pitch is set for 7 p.m. PDT.