A Baker's Dozen for Ports, Who Whip Grizzlies 13-1

STOCKTON, Calif. — The Stockton Ports (14-20) struck early and often on Thursday night, pummeling the Fresno Grizzlies (19-16) by a score of 13-1 to take game three of the six-game series.

The Ports (14-20) scored in each of the first five innings, and they got the party started with a two-run home run (5) from Luke Mann in the bottom of the first for a 2-0 lead. Their biggest scoring inning was a four-run second, which started with Nelson Beltran’s second home run of the season. His first was an inside-the-park dinger on May 4 versus Visalia, where as this one went into the BBQ Bullpen in left on the first pitch of the inning.

Casey Yamauchi hit a ground-rule double that dropped inside the right field line to score Robert Puason for a 4-0 lead. A sac fly from T.J. Schofield-Sam was followed by a ground-rule double from Mann into right center, and it was 6-0 Ports after just two innings.

Yamauchi would single home Beltran in the third to go up 7-0, and a Myles Naylor RBI single to right was followed by a sac fly from Beltran in the fourth to put Stockton ahead 9-0. Schofield-Sam drove in other run in the fifth, and a Mann RBI single with an error in right plated two more for a 12-0 Ports lead.

Fresno would break up the shutout with the help of an error from Mann after he thought a single on the third base line was foul, and Mann tossed the ball into the crowd. That was followed by a wild pitch from Jefferson Jean to score the run. But Mann would hit his second home run (6) of the night to put the lead right back to 12 runs at 13-1.

Chen Zhuang was solid again, as he pitched five scoreless innings and allowed five hits without a walk and struck out four batters, lowering his ERA to a 1.40. Luke Anderson made his first appearance of 2024 with the Ports after battling follicular lymphoma last year. Jefferson Jean earned his first professional save by throwing the final three innings, allowing just an unearned run.

UP NEXT
The Ports will host the Grizzlies at 7:05 p.m. on Friday. Fresno will start right hander Jack Mahoney (2-3, 3.74) versus Ports righty Jackson Finley (0-2, 4.79).

It will be Mental Health Awareness Night, presented by Valley Children's Healthcare. It's Affiliate Food Friday with dishes inspired by Ports opponents. And it’s a Splash 4 Cash night presented by Premier Pools & Spas, where guests can buy a bag of tennis balls for a chance to win prizes and a $200 cash prize.

Single game tickets, mini plans, and group outings are all on sale for the 2024 season. For more information, call the Ports front office at 209-644-1900 or email at [email protected].