Muncy's Big Night Keys Ports' Fourth Straight Win

STOCKTON, Ca. – Max Muncy drove in five runs and Denzel Clarke ended up a triple shy of the cycle as the Ports won their fourth game in a row, beating the Modesto Nuts 9-7 on a warm Wednesday night at Banner Island Ballpark.

Down 3-0 after the top of the first thanks to Modesto home runs by Edwin Arroyo (solo) and Robert Perez, Jr. (two-run) the Ports (13-22) wasted no time in getting right back into the ballgame in the bottom of the first inning. Robert Puason walked to start the frame and Denzel Clarke followed with a single. After a flyball to center field, Max Muncy jumped on the first pitch he saw from Modesto starter Joseph Hernandez and hit a three-run homer to left center field to tie the game at three.

The Nuts (15-20) took the lead again in the top of the fourth inning on another home run. Following a Ty Duvall leadoff single, Amador Arias clubbed a two-run shot to left center field off Ports’ starter Chen Zhuang to reclaim the lead for Modesto at 5-3.

In the bottom of the fifth, the Ports used the longball to tie the score once again. Leading off the inning Cooper Uhl lifted off to left field for his first of the year to make it 5-4, and Denzel Clarke launched a two-out solo shot to left to tie the game at five.

The Ports took the lead for good with a single run in the sixth. Muncy began the inning with a walk, and advanced to third base with nobody out after a stolen base and throwing error on Nuts catcher Ty Duvall. With one out, Junior Perez doubled inside the third base bag to score Muncy and give the Ports their first lead of the game at 6-5.

A two-out rally in the bottom of the seventh gave the Ports some insurance. Facing hard-throwing reliever Andrew Moore, Clarke walked and advanced to second base on a single by Kevin Richards. Muncy then shot a double down the right field line to drive in two runs and give the Ports an 8-5 advantage. After an infield single by Jhoan Paulino put runners on the corners, Muncy scored on an errant pick-off throw by Moore to make it 9-5.

The Nuts got single runs in the eighth and ninth against James Gonzalez, who pitched the final three innings for the Ports to pick up his first save of the season.

Skylar Szynski (1-1) notched his first win of the season for Stockton, allowing just one hit over 1.1 scoreless innings in relief of Zhuang. Hernandez (3-1) took the loss for Modesto giving up six runs on six hits, including three home runs, in 5.1 innings.

The Ports will look for their fifth consecutive win on Thursday night at Banner Island Ballpark in the third of a six-game series against the Modesto Nuts. Tickets are available at stocktonports.com or by calling (209) 644-1900.