MODESTO, Calif. - In their first road game of the season, the Stockton Ports ended a six-game losing streak on Thursday night at John Thurman Field. Ports starter Brady Feigl (1-0) set the tone by tossing a career-high six innings and notching a career-best nine strikeouts as the Ports plated
MODESTO, Calif. - In their first road game of the season, the Stockton Ports ended a six-game losing streak on Thursday night at John Thurman Field. Ports starter Brady Feigl (1-0) set the tone by tossing a career-high six innings and notching a career-best nine strikeouts as the Ports plated four runs in the seventh and earned a 5-0 win over the Modesto Nuts to open a four-game series.
Feigl and Modesto starter Austin Hutchison (0-1) were dueling shutouts until the Ports struck for the first run of the game in the fourth inning. Austin Beck led off with a triple and scored two batters later on a sacrifice fly by Jeremy Eierman to give Stockton a 1-0 lead. It was the only run allowed by Hutchison who suffered the tough-luck loss on the night, going four innings and allowing three hits while striking out seven.
Feigl gave up a leadoff single to Nick Thurman in the third and got a strikeout and a double-play to end the frame. Those outs began a stretch of 10 consecutive batters retired by Feigl who went on to earn his first California League win, going six innings and allowing two hits while walking two and striking out nine.
The Ports broke the game open in the seventh by taking advantage of two Modesto errors. With one out, Jameson Hannah hit a comebacker to the mound that was bobbled and dropped by Nuts reliever Damon Casetta-Stubbs. Hunter Hargrove followed with a single and Trace Loehr came up next and doubled to right-center to score Hannah and make it 2-0. Jordan Devencenzi followed and was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Nick Allen came up next and reached on a fielding error by Nuts third baseman Joe Rizzo, a miscue that allowed two more runs to score. Later in the inning, Beck grounded into a force play that brought in a fifth Stockton run.
Casetta-Stubbs would go 2 1/3 innings in his California League debut, allowing four unearned runs on two hits while walking two and striking out three.
Seth Martinez and Pat Krall combined to pitch the final three innings scoreless for Stockton and preserve their first shutout of the season.
With the loss, Modesto has now dropped four straight games.
The Ports and Nuts resume their four-game series on Friday night at John Thurman Field. Wyatt Marks (0-1, 12.27 ERA) makes the start for Stockton, opposed by Modesto left-hander Nick Wells (0-0, 48.60 ERA). First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. PDT.
