Ports Toppled by Giants in Extra Innings

Stockton, CA – The San Jose Giants scored twice with two outs in the top of the tenth inning as the Ports dropped their second straight game with a 7-6 loss in front of a sold out crowd on Saturday night at Banner Island Ballpark.

The Giants (24-14) took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Carter Howell singled to start the ballgame and stole second base, advancing to third on an errant throw by Ports catcher Cooper Uhl. He then scored on a passed ball to give San Jose the early 1-0 lead.

After San Jose starter Jack Choate retired the first five hitters in order, the Ports (11-27) tied the game with two outs in the bottom of the second. Tommy Stevenson worked a walk on a full count and scored from first base when Jose Escorche doubled to right center field to tie the score at one.

After the Giants took advantage of shaky infield defense to take a 2-1 lead in the top of the third inning, the Ports claimed their first lead of the ballgame with a three-run bottom of the third against Choate. With one out, Seth Brown and Brayan Buelvas hit back-to-back singles to put runners on first and second for Brennan Milone who grounded a single through the left side to score brown from second base to tie the game at two. After a wild pitch moved runners to second and third, Colby Thomas drove in a run with a groundout to give the Ports a 3-2 lead, Henry Bolte hit an infield single to deep short to score Milone from third base to make it 4-2.

The Giants made it 4-3 with two doubles off Ports reliever James Gonzalez in the top of the fourth and then tied the score in the fifth. Three straight singles started the inning against Gonzalez to load the bases with nobody out for Howell who bounced into a double play to score a run from third to bring San Jose even at 4-4.

The Ports reclaimed the lead in the fifth when Thomas followed a walk to Milone with a double to left center field to drive in his second run of the game to make it 5-4.

With clutch hitting, however, the Giants would tie the game in the eighth and take a two-run lead in the tenth inning. With Diego Velasquez at third base and two outs, Thomas Gavello lined a single to center field to tie the game at five in the eighth inning.

After both teams failed to score to send the game into the 10th, the Giants again got key at-bats with two outs to take the lead. With PJ Hilson, the ghost runner to start the inning, still at second base with two outs after a groundout and a popout, Matt Higgins lined a double to right field off Stockton reliever Dallas Woolfolk to give San Jose a 6-5 lead. Onil Perez then followed with a single to left field to give the Giants a two-run cushion 7-5.

Stockton’s ghost runner to start the bottom of the 10th, Brayan Buelvas, would score from third base with two outs on a balk and Henry Bolte reached on an error by second baseman Andrew Kachel with two outs, but Tommy Stevenson struck out to end the ballgame.

San Jose reliever Danny Blair (4-0) got the win with four innings of one-hit baseball with four strikeouts. Woolfolk (0-2) took the loss for the Ports allowing two runs (one earned) in the tenth inning. Julio Rodriguez allowed an unearned run in the bottom of the 10th for his first save of the season.

Despite back-to-back losses the Ports will go for the series win on Sunday afternoon in the series finale with first pitch at 2:09 pm. Tickets are available at stocktonports.com.