STOCKTON, Calif. - For the first time since 2010, the Stockton Ports dropped their home opener at Banner Island Ballpark. On Thursday night underneath a steady rain, the Ports mustered just two hits in a 4-0 loss to the Lake Elsinore Storm to open the 2018 campaign.Ports starter Jesus Luzardo
STOCKTON, Calif. - For the first time since 2010, the Stockton Ports dropped their home opener at Banner Island Ballpark. On Thursday night underneath a steady rain, the Ports mustered just two hits in a 4-0 loss to the Lake Elsinore Storm to open the 2018 campaign.
Ports starter Jesus Luzardo (0-1) pitched around a leadoff walk in the first, a leadoff single in the second and a two-out double in the third, at that point retiring six consecutive batters to take him two outs deep into the fifth. After Luzardo notched back-to-back strikeouts to open the frame, Eguy Rosario would extend the fifth inning with a double to the left field wall. Nate Easley followed with an opposite-field flair single to right field that scored Rosario and gave the Storm a 1-0 lead. The Easley single also knocked Luzardo from the game. He would go on to suffer the loss in his California League debut, going 4.2 innings and allowing one run on four hits while striking out six.
Lake Elsinore would add to its lead in the sixth facing Ports reliever Brendan Butler. With one out, Luis Torrens and Hudson Potts would hit back-to-back doubles to make it a 2-0 contest. Butler came on to pitch the seventh and saw Ruddy Giron reach on a throwing error by third baseman Will Toffey. Rosario followed with a double to left to score Giron. After an Easley single, Edward Olivares singled to left to score Rosario and make it a 4-0 contest.
Butler would go an inning-and-a-third and allow three runs (two earned) on five hits. Angel Duno would come on in relief and set down nine of the 10 batters he faced while striking out five.
Storm starter Lake Bochar (1-0) would toss six scoreless innings, allowing just two hits while striking out one. Elliot Ashbeck pitched a scoreless seventh and eighth before turning the ball over to Dauris Valdez in the ninth. Valdez would struggle with his command, walking back-to-back hitters to open the ninth before inducing back-to-back outs. With two down, Valdez walked Toffey to load the bases and bring the possible-tying run to the plate. David Badnar (SV, 1) was then summoned in a save situation and got Luke Persico to fly out to right to end the contest.
The Ports and Storm will play a double header on Saturday night at Banner Island Ballpark, after Friday's contest was rained out. Brian Howard (0-0, 0.00 ERA) makes his California League debut for Stockton, opposed by Lake Elsinore left-hander Adrian Morejon (0-0, 0.00 ERA). First pitch is set for 6:10 p.m. PDT for Game 1.
