VISALIA, Calif.- The Stockton Ports rallied for the game-tying run in the top of the ninth, only to see the Visalia Rawhide win in the bottom of the ninth on Monday night at Recreation Ballpark. Luis Basabe led off the last of the ninth inning with a walk-off home run
VISALIA, Calif.- The Stockton Ports rallied for the game-tying run in the top of the ninth, only to see the Visalia Rawhide win in the bottom of the ninth on Monday night at Recreation Ballpark. Luis Basabe led off the last of the ninth inning with a walk-off home run for the Rawhide as Visalia earned its 10th consecutive win and sent the Ports to their fourth straight loss in a 5-4 final to open a four-game series.
Visalia got off to a fast start in the contest, scoring three runs in the bottom of the first off Ports starter Brady Feigl. The Rawhide loaded the bases on two singles and a walk and scored the first run on an RBI single by Mark Karaviotis. Two batters later, Anfernee Grier added a run with an RBI single and Basabe provided a sacrifice fly that gave the Rawhide a 3-0 lead.
The three first inning runs were the only runs allowed by Feigl, who worked five innings and allowed seven this while walking three and striking out four.
Stockton plated its first run in the second as Jeremy Eierman led off with a walk, stole second and scored on a one-out single by Trace Loehr. It was the lone run allowed by Rawhide starter Matt Mercer, who went four innings and allowed six hits while striking out four.
The Ports inched closer in the sixth when Loehr came up with runners at the corners and two outs and reached on an infield single that drove in another run and made it 3-2. Later in the inning the Ports had the bases loaded with two outs and Visalia brought in Luis Castillo from the bullpen to face Mickey McDonald, who lined out to center to end the inning.
Visalia got the run back in the bottom of the sixth when Grier led off with a solo home run off Ports reliever Jesus Zambrano to stretch the Rawhide lead to 4-2. It was the only run allowed by Zambrano in two innings of relief.
Stockton took advantage of a pair of Visalia fielding errors that started the seventh inning and plated a third run on a sac-fly by Alfonso Rivas to make it 4-3. The run was unearned and the only run allowed by Castillo in 2 1/3 innings of relief.
The Ports finally tied the game in the top of the ninth facing Rawhide reliever Matt Brill (2-0). Brill issued a leadoff walk to McDonald followed by a single to Nick Allen that put runners at the corners with nobody out. Jameson Hannah brought in the tying run with a groundout to second to tie the game at 4-4. Austin Beck followed with an infield single that put runners at the corners with one out. Rivas, though, would line out to the shortstop Jose Caballero for the second out. After Eierman walked to load the bases, Brill struck out Hunter Hargrove to end the inning and strand the bases loaded.
Seth Martinez (0-2), who had pitched a scoreless eighth, came back out to work the ninth and surrendered the leadoff home run to Basabe that gave Visalia the 5-4 victory. Martinez suffered his second loss of the season while Brill, after blowing his first save of the year, picked up the win for Visalia.
The Ports and Rawhide continue their four-game series with a matinee on Tuesday at Recreation Ballpark. Wyatt Marks (2-1, 3.07 ERA) makes the start for Stockton, opposed by Visalia right-hander Josh Green (1-1, 3.38 ERA). First pitch is set for 3:30 p.m. PDT.
