Ports clinch first-half crown with 5-4 win

STOCKTON, Calif. - The Stockton Ports locked up a First Half title in the North Division for the first time in 15 years and for the first time as an Oakland A's affiliate on Monday night at Banner Island Ballpark. The Ports defeated the San Jose Giants by a final of 5-4, escaping a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the ninth inning to earn the victory. The win coupled with a Visalia Rawhide loss to the Modesto Nuts earned the Ports a First Half championship and a berth in the 2018 California League playoffs in September.
The Ports got off to a fast start in the bottom of the first as Boog Powell walked to open the inning, went to second on a groundout and stole third with one out. The steal set up Skye Bolt for a sacrifice fly that gave Stockton a 1-0 lead.
Oakland A's left-hander Ryan Buchter started the game for Stockton on a Major League rehab assignment and pitched a scoreless first inning, allowing one hit and one walk and ending the inning on a double-play. He threw 16 pitches, seven for strikes. Parker Dunshee (6-2) took over in the second and gave up a leadoff single to Heath Quinn. Two batters later, Matt Winn hit a two-run homer off Dunshee out to right field that gave the Giants a 2-1 lead.
Stockton grabbed the lead back in the bottom of the second. Dairon Blanco hit his first of two triples on the night out to right field and scored three batters later on a one-out single to right off the bat of Kevin Merrell to tie the game at 2-2. Two batters later with two outs, Powell delivered an RBI single to right field to make it a 3-2 Ports lead. It was the final run allowed by San Jose starter Conner Menez (2-5), who suffered the loss after allowing three runs on three hits while walking three in five innings of work.
Connor Overton took over for the Giants in the sixth and issued a leadoff walk to Jonah Heim. Blanco followed with a triple to center field that scored Heim and made it 4-2. Blanco would score two batters later on a sac-fly by Luke Persico to run the Ports lead to 5-2. Those were the only two runs allowed by Overton in two innings of relief.
Dunshee, meanwhile, had two on with nobody out in the fourth and recorded three straight outs to escape the jam. Those three outs started a stretch of 12 consecutive batters retired by Dunshee to take him through the seventh. The stretch was broken up in the eighth with a leadoff single by Brandon Van Horn. Two batters later, Jalen Miller singled with one out to put two aboard. After Dunshee struck out Gio Brusa for the second out, he surrendered an RBI single to Jacob Heyward that scored Van Horn and made it 5-3. Dunshee was lifted at that point for Sam Sheehan, who got Quinn to ground out to end the inning.
Dunshee would go on to pick up the victory after tossing 6.2 innings and allowing three runs on six hits while striking out nine.
Sheehan would begin the ninth inning by walking Sandro Fabian. Two batters later with one out, pinch-hitter Wander Franco singled to left to put two aboard. Sheehan then hit Van Horn to load the bases with one out. Andrew Tomasovich (SV, 2) was summoned from the bullpen and was greeted by a single off the bat of Bryce Johnson that made it a 5-4 game. With the bases loaded and two outs, Tomasovich got Miller to fly out to shallow right to keep the runners in place. With two outs, Tomasovich got Brusa to pop out to Merrell at shortstop to end the ballgame and earn his second save of the season.
The First Half title is Stockton's 12^th in franchise history and its first since 2003 when they played as a Texas Rangers affiliate. The win also marked the Ports' fourth straight victory over San Jose.
The Ports and Giants play the second game of their four-game set on Tuesday night at Banner Island Ballpark. Brian Howard (6-3, 2.56 ERA) makes the start for Stockton, opposed by San Jose right-hander Raffi Vizcaino (3-3, 5.11 ERA). First pitch is set for 7:10 p.m. PDT.