Balanced Attack From Ports Leads to 8-6 Win

STOCKTON, Calif. – A grand slam from Carlos Franco in the third, a string of hits in the seventh, and a strong start from Nathan Dettmer powered the Ports to an 8-6 victory over the Giants on Wednesday night to tie the series at 1-1.

San Jose (50-27, 8-3) put a three-run rally together to go up 3-0 in the top of the third, but Stockton (36-41, 4-7) answered immediately in the bottom of the inning. Dylan Fien battled for a two-out walk on a full count, followed by a Cameron Leary hustle double (20) to put runners at second and third. Pedro Pineda battled for a full count walk of his own to load the bases, setting the stage for Franco.

The Ports catcher would hammer the first pitch of the at bat 396 feet to deep left for his first career grand slam and third home run of the season to put the Ports up 4-3. It was the first home run Giants start Niko Mazza had allowed all year.

Dettmer would go five innings and allow just those three runs in the third on seven hits and three walks with two strikeouts. The Ports had a scary moment in the seventh when Franco and Jared Sprague-Lott collided in foul territory near the third base line in front of the Giants’ dugout. Franco held on to make the catch and end the top of the seventh, but both players were removed from the game.

The Ports seemed to rally around their injured teammates, stringing together three-straight hits to start the bottom of the seventh from Ali Camarillo, Myles Naylor, and Bryan Andrade who replaced Sprague-Lott to go up 6-3. After C.J. Pittaro was hit on the foot by a pitch, Fien doubled into the right field corner off the base of the wall to put Stockton ahead 7-3.

The Giants got a run back in the eighth, but Fien would drive in Naylor in the bottom of the inning to put the Ports back up by four again at 8-4. Aidan Layton was good overall in 3.1 innings of relief for Stockton but allowed another run in the ninth before being lifted for Riley Huge. The lefty was pitching in his second-straight game and hit a batter along with allowing a sac fly, but struck out Jeremiah Jenkins to end the game.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS: Pineda and Leary each extended their on base streaks to 11-straight games and Huge recorded his second save of the season.

UP NEXT: The final game of the Stockton leg of the series is set for a 7:05 PM first pitch before the next three games are played in San Jose, Calif. The Ports will put on their Fourth of July fireworks extravaganza on Thursday night, with LHP Charlie McDaniel (6-3, 2.44) starting for the Giants against RHP Jefferson Jean (2-4, 5.17) for the Ports.

Single game tickets, mini plans, and group outings are all on sale for the 2025 season. For more information, call the Ports front office at 209-644-1900 or email at [email protected].