Ports Can't Slow Giants' Bats, Drop Second Straight

Box Score

SAN JOSE, Ca.- Ports pitching issued ten walks and the San Jose Giants scored a season-high 16 runs as Stockton fell 16-6 on Thursday night at Excite Ballpark in San Jose.

The Ports (41-67) got off to a promising start in the top of the first inning against San Jose starter Prelander Berroa. Seth Brown, on a Major League rehab assignment from the Oakland A's, led off the game with a solo home run to right field on a 1-2 pitch to give the Ports a 1-0 lead. T.J. Schofield-Sam followed with a one-out triple off the right field wall, but the Ports failed to score him from third base.

San Jose (69-42) took the lead with the first of three big innings, scoring four times in the bottom of the second. After the Giants loaded the bases with nobody out on two walks and a hit-by-pitch against Ports' starter Grant Judkins, Grant McCray singled through the left side on a 3-2 pitch to tie the game at one. Judkins was then lifted after walking Glowenke to force in another run, and Najee Gaskins lined the first pitch he saw from new pitcher Grant Holman to center field to score two runs and make it 4-1.

The Giants scored once in the third on a two-out RBI single by Carter Williams and twice in the fourth on a two-run homer off the bat of Luis Toribio to take a 7-1 lead.

The Ports cut the San Jose lead in half with a three run top of the fifth inning. Sahid Valenzuela and Brown led off with back-to-back singles and Zack Gelof followed with a walk to load the bases with nobody out. Schofield-Sam then hit a sacrifice fly to center field to score Valenzuela to make it 7-2, while Brown advanced to third and Gelof to second on a throwing error by McCray. Kevin Richards then hit a ground ball to shortstop to score Brown, and Gelof scored on a throwing error by Ghordy Santos that also allowed Richards to reach first safely, making it 7-4.

With two outs and nobody on in the top of the sixth, though, the Giants mounted a five run rally to put the game out of reach. After recording the first two outs of the inning, Stockton reliever Ed Baram walked Toribio and allowed a two-run home run to Yorlis Rodriguez to give San Jose a 9-4 lead. After another walk and a wild pitch, Santos singled to left field to give San Jose a 10-4 advantage. Aaron Cohn then came in to pitch for the Ports, and after walking Luis Matos to put runners on first and second, Williams doubled to the gap in right center field to score two runs, making it 12-4.

The Ports got two runs in the top of the seventh inning on a sacrifice fly by CJ Rodriguez and RBI single by Junior Perez to make it 12-6, but the Giants struck for four more in the bottom of the eighth to increase their lead to 16-6.

Judkins (0-5) took the loss for the Ports allowing four runs on one hit in just one inning, while San Jose reliever Wilkelma Castillo (3-0) got the win for San Jose with 1 2/3 innings of scoreless relief following Berroa.

The Ports will look to even their series against the Giants with game four on Friday night at Excite Ballpark in San Jose. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 pm.