STOCKTON, Calif. - The Stockton Ports scored 10 runs on just six hits Monday night at Banner Island Ballpark. The Ports were assisted by 11 walks doled out by Rancho Cucamonga Quakes pitchers and picked up their fourth straight victory to improve to 4-1 on the young season.Ports starter Zack
STOCKTON, Calif. - The Stockton Ports scored 10 runs on just six hits Monday night at Banner Island Ballpark. The Ports were assisted by 11 walks doled out by Rancho Cucamonga Quakes pitchers and picked up their fourth straight victory to improve to 4-1 on the young season.
Ports starter Zack Erwin (1-0) set the tone early as he continued what's been a tremendous start for Stockton starting pitchers. Erwin allowed a single with one out in the first and then proceeded to retire 13 consecutive batters on his way to tossing six scoreless innings, allowing two hits while striking out eight in picking up the win.
Stockton's offense got rolling in the second inning. With two outs and the bases empty, Quakes starter Imani Abdullah (0-1) issued back-to-back walks and then gave up back-to-back RBI singles to Edwin Diaz and Kevin Merrell that brought three runs across and gave the Ports a 3-0 lead. The Ports added another run in the third as Greg Deichmann doubled with one out and scored three batters later on an RBI groundout by Luis Barrera. It was the final run allowed by Abdullah, who suffered the loss in his California League debut, going 2.2 innings and allowing four runs on three hits while walking six.
After Quakes reliever Ryan Moseley tossed 2.1 scoreless innings in relief of Abdullah, Jason Richman took over in the sixth and, with one out, gave up back-to-back infield singles to Diaz and Merrell. After Nate Mondou was hit by a pitch to load the bases, Jonah Heim took a four-pitch walk to bring in a run and make it a 5-0 lead. A wild pitch would allow another run to score and after Deichmann walked to reload the bases, Will Toffey grounded out to bring in a seventh run and chase Richman from the game. Nolan Long took over and after walking Dairon Blanco to load the bases for a third time in the inning, Barrera brought everybody home with a bases-clearing triple to right to run the Ports lead to 10-0.
Richman allowed five runs in two-thirds of an inning while Long worked the final 2.1 innings for the Quakes and allowed one run on one hit while walking two.
Andrew Tomasovich took over for Erwin to start the seventh and worked around a leadoff walk in his first inning of work. The Quakes would get back-to-back doubles to start the eighth from Donovan Casey and Cody Thomas, with Thomas driving in Casey to get the Quakes on the board. Thomas would score later in the inning on a wild pitch to make it 10-2. Tomasovich allowed two runs on two hits in an inning-and-two-thirds. Sam Sheehan pitched the final inning-and-a-third scoreless for the Ports.
The Ports and Quakes play a matinee on Tuesday morning at Banner Island Ballpark. Right-hander Jake Bray (0-0, 0.00 ERA) makes his California League debut for Stockton, opposed by Rancho Cucamonga right-hander and Stockton native Dean Kremer (0-1, 16.20 ERA). First pitch is set for 11:05 a.m. PDT.
