Homers Hinder Ports In 9-0 Loss

July 4, 2019

STOCKTON, Calif. - The Stockton Ports were shut out for a second straight night Thursday at Banner Island Ballpark. A standing-room only crowd of 5,530 saw the Modesto Nuts belt six home runs, the most allowed by the Ports on the season, as the Nuts sent the Ports to a 9-0 loss to open a three-game series.
The Nuts set the tone early as Joe Rizzo opened the game with a home run to right, the first of two he'd hit on the night, to give Modesto an early 1-0 lead. The Nuts enjoyed their biggest inning of the night in the third and collected three more big flies. Ariel Sandoval opened the inning with a homer to make it 2-0. Two batters later, Rizzo blasted his second of the night. After a single by Jarred Kelenic, Cal Raleigh hit a two-run shot to right field to run the Modesto lead to 5-0.
Ports starter Mitchell Jordan (6-5) issued his only walk of the night to Ariel Sandoval with one out in the fourth. Sandoval stole second and then scored on an ensuing single by Johnny Adams to make it 6-0. In the fifth, Matt Sanders singled with one out and scored on an ensuing two-run homer by Jake Scheiner, making it a 6-0 ballgame.
Jordan suffered the loss, going five innings and allowing a season-high eight runs on 10 hits, including a career-high five home runs.
Modesto starter Logan Gilbert (5-2) pitched around a leadoff single in the first, a single and a walk with two outs in the second, a two-out double in the fourth and a two-out single in the fifth. Gilbert would go on to earn the victory, tossing five scoreless frames while allowing four hits, walking one and striking out seven.
Reid Morgan made his California League debut for Modesto and allowed one hit while striking out one in two scoreless frames. J.T. Salter worked the final two innings for the Nuts and worked around back-to-back walks that opened the ninth to preserve the shutout.
Ryan Gridley had the only multi-hit performance for Stockton as he went 2-for-4 on the night.
The Ports and Nuts play the middle game of their three-game series on Friday night at Banner Island Ballpark. Xavier Altamirano (3-4, 4.30 ERA) makes the start for Stockton, opposed by Modesto right-hander Penn Murfee (3-2, 2.34 ERA). First pitch is set for 7:10 p.m. PDT.