Stockton Swings Big In 12-8 Win Over Blaze

STOCKTON, Calif. - The Stockton Ports came one home run shy of tying a California League record for most home runs in an inning on Sunday afternoon at Banner Island Ballpark. The Boys of Banner Island clubbed four home runs in the fifth inning and six homers total in a 12-8 win over the Bakersfield Blaze, completing a four-game sweep to remain unbeaten on the season.

For the second straight game it was Bakersfield jumping on the board in the top of the first inning. With a runner at first and one out, Kyle Waldrop doubled to right, and a mishandling of the cutoff throw allowed Ryan Wright to score and Waldrop to reach third. Waldrop would score on an ensuing RBI groundout from Michael Gilmartin to give the Blaze a 2-0 lead.

Stockton got a run back in the bottom of the first when Max Muncy hit a two-out homer to right, one of two home runs he'd hit on the afternoon.

The Blaze increased their lead with the help of the long ball in the second. Yorman Rodriguez led off with a home run to left off Ports starter Tanner Peters (1-0). Juan Silva followed with a double and would eventually score on a sac-fly from Sean Buckley to give Bakersfield a 4-1 advantage.

Muncy would strike again to tie the game in the third. With two on and one out, Muncy homered again to right , this time to tie the game at 4-4.

Bakersfield took the lead back in the fourth when Dominic D'Anna led off with a home run to left to make it a 5-4 contest.

Stockton, however, would tee off on Blaze starter James Allen (0-1) in the fifth. With one out, Myrio Richard singled to left and Dusty Robinson gave the Ports their first lead with a two-run homer to center, making it 6-5. After Muncy walked and Tony Thompson doubled, B.A. Vollmuth came up with his first hit of the season, a three-run homer over the mini-monster wall in left to make it a 9-5 contest. Two batters later, Bobby Crocker homered to left to make it a 10-5 lead and knock Allen from the game. El'Hajj Muhammad came in from the bullpen and gave up a home run to Wade Kirkland, increasing the Ports lead to 11-5.

Allen would take the loss on the afternoon, going 4.2 innings and allowing 10 runs on nine hits, including five home runs. Muhammad would settle in after allowing the home run to Kirkland and retire the final seven batters he faced, including five strikeouts.

Bakersfield started to whittle away their deficit in the sixth. Pedro Vidal came on to start the inning and hit Rodriguez and walked Silva. After retiring the next two batters, Vidal surrendered a two-run double to Juan Perez that cut the Ports lead to 11-7.

The Blaze inched closer in the eighth. Jake Brown, who pitched a perfect seventh, gave up a pair of singles and was lifted for Jose Macias (SV, 1), who allowed an RBI single to Perez that made it an 11-8 game.

The Ports got the run back in the last of the eighth, however, facing Blaze reliever Kyle McMyne. With runners at the corners, Michael Fabiaschi hit a sac-fly to left to increase the Stockton lead to 12-8.

Macias tossed a scoreless ninth to earn his first save of the season.

In their four-game set with the Blaze the Ports scored a total of 29 runs. Of those runs, 21 were a product of home runs. 11 of the 12 runs scored on Sunday afternoon were made possible by the long ball.

After a four-game sweep of the Blaze, the Ports welcome the San Jose Giants to town for a three-game series beginning on Monday night at Banner Island Ballpark. Right-hander Andres Avila (0-0, 0.00 ERA) takes the hill in his California League debut for Stockton, opposed by Giants right-hander Chris Marlowe (0-0, 0.00) for San Jose. First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. PDT.