VISALIA, Calif. - For the first time in their four-game series with the Visalia Rawhide, the Stockton Ports scored first on Thursday night. That, however, didn't prevent Visalia from making franchise history at Recreation Ballpark. The Rawhide won their 13th straight game setting a new franchise record and, in the
VISALIA, Calif. - For the first time in their four-game series with the Visalia Rawhide, the Stockton Ports scored first on Thursday night. That, however, didn't prevent Visalia from making franchise history at Recreation Ballpark. The Rawhide won their 13th straight game setting a new franchise record and, in the process, sent the Ports to their seventh straight loss in a 4-3 decision.
Rawhide starter Cole Stapler got off to a fast start, retiring the first 13 batters he faced to take him one-out into the top of the fifth. The stretch was broken up by an Alfonso Rivas infield single as he became Stockton's first baserunner of the night. Jeremy Eierman followed with a single to left that was misplayed by Visalia left fielder Luis Basabe, allowing Rivas to score and giving the Ports their first lead of the series. Two batters later, Jonah Bride walked, and JJ Schwarz followed with an RBI single to score Eierman. Nick Allen came up next and lined a double to left-center on which Bride scored. Schwarz was waved around third and was thrown out on a relay throw by shortstop Jancarlos Cintron.
Stapler would not factor into the decision as he went five innings and allowed three runs on four hits while walking one and striking out four.
Ports starter Daulton Jefferies worked the first three innings, escaping a jam in the first inning with runners at the corners and one out. Jefferies did not allow a run and gave up one hit while walking one and striking out three.
Jared Poche'' (0-4) came on to start the fourth and did not allow a run in his first two frames. In the sixth, however, he issued a leadoff walk to Basabe and then gave up a double to Renae Martinez that put runners at second and third. Jake McCarthy followed with an RBI single to put Visalia on the board at 3-1. After Yoel Yanqui walked to load the bases, Anfernee Grier hit a sac-fly to right that made it a 3-2 game and left runners at the corners with one out. Poche' would get Tim Susnara to pop out to third base for an unproductive second out. While he was working to Cam Duzenack, though, Poche' uncorked a wild pitch that allowed McCarthy to score and make it a 3-3 contest. Duzenack would provide a two-out double to left-center that scored Yanqui and vault Visalia in front 4-3 while knocking Poche' from the contest.
Poche' suffered the loss, going 2 2/3 innings and allowing four runs on three hits while walking three and striking out two.
Jesus Zambrano worked the final 2 1/3 innings for the Ports and did not allow a run while working around two hits and striking out two.
After Kevin McCanna (2-0) worked a scoreless top of the sixth, Luis Castillo was summoned to work the seventh and was lifted due to injury after allowing a one-out single to Mickey McDonald. Junior Garcia came on from the bullpen and retired back-to-back hitters to strand McDonald at second.
Garcia worked into the eighth where he surrendered a leadoff double to Allen. After Jameson Hannah flied out to deep center to advance Allen to third, Matt Brill (SV, 4) was called in from the bullpen and, with Allen at third, recorded back-to-back strikeouts of Austin Beck and Lazaro Armenteros to escape the jam with the lead intact.
Brill would set the side down in order in the ninth to notch his fourth save of the season. McCanna picked up the win in the contest for the Rawhide.
The Ports continue their seven-game road trip on Friday night as they open a three-game series with the San Jose Giants at Excite Ballpark. Mitchell Jordan (1-2, 7.41 ERA) makes the start in the series opener for Stockton, opposed by San Jose right-hander Trenton Toplikar (0-0, 3.86 ERA). First pitch is set for 7 p.m. PDT.
