Connor Grey Dominant as Rawhide Roll

STOCKTON, CA - It's tough to have another "career game" when a pitcher has already attained perfection. But Connor Grey, who threw a perfect game with the Kane County Cougars in September, 2017, did his best to accomplish that tonight.

Grey (W, 3-0) delivered seven shutout innings and struck out a career-high 12 hitters en route earning his California League Leading third win of the season. Grey entered the game with just one strikeout over his first two starts, and didn't strike out a single hitter until the third inning. From that frame on, he rolled through the Stockton lineup.
Grey struck out the side in order in the third inning and struck out at least one Ports batter in every remaining inning of his outing, including punching out the side in both the fourth and seventh innings. Grey became the first Rawhide starter to complete the seventh inning this season while throwing 101 pitches.
Only one Stockton player advanced past first base against Grey, when Dairon Blanco reached on a swinging-bunt single in the fourth inning and stole second. On the night, Grey allowed just three hits and walked two. He ended his outing with an exclamation point by striking out the final three hitters he faced.
Stockton (9-6) failed to get its offense going against reliever Kevin Ginkel as well. Ginkel (SV, 1) entered with a three-run lead in the eighth and pitched a pair of scoreless innings with four strikeouts.
Visalia (9-6) won its third straight game for the first time this season. Though Grey was the story of the game, the Rawhide offense had to get creative to score runs.
With runners on the corners and the score gridlocked at zero in the fourth inning, Rawhide Manager Joe Mather sent Stephen Smith from first early to get him caught in a rundown. Drew Ellis came home to score from third to put the Rawhide up 1-0, which ended up being enough for Grey and the bullpen.
Marcus Wilson also drove home Dominic Miroglio with a base hit in the seventh inning and Miroglio, in turn, drove home Daulton Varsho with a sacrifice fly in the eighth. Wilson came home to score on a passed ball on Ports catcher Collin Theroux in the ninth to put the Rawhide up 4-0.
Miroglio led the way for the offense with a pair of doubles and a run scored: he has seven hits in his last three games. Wilson also added his first three-hit game of the year.
Ports starter Brian Howard (L, 1-2) took the hard-luck loss: he allowed one run on only five hits with nine strikeouts.
The Rawhide pitched their first collective shutout of the season and tied their season-high mark for team strikeouts with 16.
The series in Stockton continues tomorrow when the Rawhide will send Arizona Diamondbacks #13 prospect Sam McWilliams (1-1, 3.00) to the bump against Stockton RHP Matt Milburn (1-0, 4.66). First pitch is at 7:10 PM and the live radio broadcast will be available on rawhidebaseball.com.