Four-Run First Helps Ports Past Visalia 7-1
May 5, 2013 - California League (CalL1)
Stockton Ports News Release
STOCKTON, Calif. - The Stockton Ports plated four runs in the first inning and never looked back on Sunday afternoon at Banner Island Ballpark. The Ports scored four runs on four hits in the frame en route to a 7-1 win over the Visalia Rawhide, their first win over Visalia this season. The Ports victory also snapped Visalia's five-game winning streak.
Myrio Richard led off the first with a single and Antonio Lamas followed with a double to left that put runners at second and third with nobody out. Max Muncy was hit by a pitch to load the bases and two batters later, Dusty Robinson delivered a two-run single to left that gave the Ports a 2-0 lead. Two batters later, Wade Kirkland doubled to left to score two more runs and make it a 4-0 advantage.
Rawhide starter Andrew Barbosa (3-2) pitched just the first inning and took the loss, allowing four runs on four hits while walking one.
Ports starter Sergio Perez, making his California League debut, allowed just one hit over the first three innings. Perez was lifted after walking back-to-back hitters to start the fourth, and T.J. Walz (3-0) came on from the Ports bullpen. Walz struck out Michael Perez and then got David Nick to hit into an inning-ending 5-4-3 double play.
Visalia's best opportunity to score came in the fifth when they started the inning with back-to-back singles off Walz that put runners at the corners with nobody out. Walz, however, recorded back-to-back strikeouts of Evan Marzilli and Sean Jamieson and got Gerson Montilla to fly to left to end the threat.
Walz earned the win on the afternoon, going two scoreless innings and allowing two hits.
After Willy Paredes pitched four scoreless innings out of the bullpen for Visalia, Diogenes Rosario came on to start the sixth and gave up a leadoff single to Robinson. After a Tony Thompson single that put runners at the corners, Kirkland hit into a 6-4-3 double play that enabled a run to score and make it 5-0.
Stockton added two more runs in the eighth off Rosario. With two outs, Kirkland singled, Phil Pohl singled and Bobby Crocker singled to right to score Kirkland, making it a 6-0 lead and putting runners at the corners. Rosario then threw a wild pick-off attempt to first that wound up in the seats, allowing Pohl to score to make it 7-0.
Rosario went three innings and allowed three runs (two earned) on six hits and struck out two.
Omar Duran tossed three perfect innings for the Ports to take the game into the ninth inning. Max Perlman took over in the ninth and Jake Lamb led off with a pop-fly to left that got tangled in the wind and fell out of the reach of Robinson for a leadoff double. Yazy Arbelo came up next and singled to left to score Lamb and spoil Stockton's shutout bid. Perlman, though, would induce a fielder's choice groundout and record a pair of strikeouts to end the ballgame.
The Ports will attempt to salvage a series split with the Rawhide as the teams play the finale of their four-game set on Monday night. Drew Granier (3-2, 2.81 ERA) will get the ball for Stockton, opposed by Visalia right-hander Conrad Flynn (2-0, 2.70 ERA). First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. PDT.
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California League Stories from May 5, 2013
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- Four-Run First Helps Ports Past Visalia 7-1 - Stockton Ports
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- Visalia Bullpen Vexes Ports in 5-3 Loss - Stockton Ports
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