SAN JOSE, Calif. - After dropping the first game of their four-game series at Excite Ballpark, the Stockton Ports have stunned the San Jose Giants with back-to-back come-from-behind wins. After erasing a six-run deficit for their largest comeback win of the season on Friday night, the Ports rallied from down
SAN JOSE, Calif. - After dropping the first game of their four-game series at Excite Ballpark, the Stockton Ports have stunned the San Jose Giants with back-to-back come-from-behind wins. After erasing a six-run deficit for their largest comeback win of the season on Friday night, the Ports rallied from down two runs heading into the eighth inning, scoring a run in the eighth, a run in the ninth and two in the 10th to hand the Giants an 8-6 loss and improve to two games over .500 for the first time on the season.
Stockton got the offense going early as, with one on and one out in the first, Alfonso Rivas and Lazaro Armenteros hit back-to-back doubles to give the Ports an early 2-0 lead.
The Giants got a run back in the bottom of the first as Courtney Hawkins doubled with a runner on and two outs to cut the Stockton lead to 2-1. The Ports plated a run in each of the next two innings as Ryan Gridley delivered a two-out RBI single in the second and Jeremy Eierman homered to left in the third to make it a 4-1 Stockton advantage.
Giants starter Aaron Phillips went three innings and allowed four runs on four hits while walking four and striking out four.
The Giants took advantage of errors committed by Trace Loehr in the fourth and fifth innings to shave two runs off their deficit. Loehr missed a pop-fly on the infield in the fourth and Fabian Pena followed with a double to make it 4-2. In the fifth, Brandon Van Horn reached on a throwing error to open the inning and scored three batters later on an RBI single by Hawkins to make it 4-3.
Ports starter Mitchell Jordan was rendered a no-decision but turned in a quality outing, going six innings and allowing three runs (one earned) on eight hits while walking two and striking out three.
Seth Martinez took over for Jordan in the seventh and issued a leadoff walk to Van Horn, followed by back-to-back singles to Heliot Ramos and Quinn with Quinn driving in Van Horn to tie the game. After a sac-fly from Hawkins gave San Jose its first lead, David Villar singled to center to make it a 6-4 Giants advantage.
Martinez would go on to retire his last five batters as he set the side down in order in the eighth. He allowed three runs on three hits over two innings.
The Ports got a run closer in the eighth as Eierman tripled to open the inning off Casey Meisner, who'd not allowed a hit since entering the game in the fourth. Two batters later, Robert Mullen singled to right to score Eierman and chase Meisner from the contest. Olbis Parra took over and would strand Mullen to end the inning with San Jose leading 6-5.
Meisner allowed one run on two hits while walking three in 4 1/3 innings while Parra did not allow a run in two-thirds of an inning worked.
Peter Lannoo (0-1) took over for the Giants in the ninth and gave up a leadoff double to Ravas. Two batters later, Loehr atoned for his earlier miscues with a game-tying single to left field, knotting the game at 6-6.
After Wandisson Charles (2-0) worked a perfect bottom of the ninth for the Ports, Stockton's offense came through with a pair of runs in the 10th off Lannoo. With runners at the corners, Mickey McDonald gave the Ports the lead with a sac-fly to left field foul territory. Three batters later, Rivas padded the lead with an RBI single to right field to make it an 8-6 contest.
Lannoo suffered the loss, going two innings and allowing three runs (two earned) on five hits while striking out one.
Peter Bayer (SV, 3) took over for the Ports in the bottom of the 10th and pitched around a two-out walk to keep the Giants out of the run column and earn his third save of the season.
The Ports and Giants wrap up their four-game series on Sunday night at Excite Ballpark, where the Ports will try and earn a seventh consecutive series victory with a win. Xavier Altamirano (3-3, 3.80 ERA) makes the start for Stockton, opposed by San Jose right-hander Matt Frisbee (3-6, 4.70 ERA). First pitch is set for 5 p.m. PDT.
