Errors Doom Ports in 7-2 Loss
May 29, 2016 - California League (CalL1)
Stockton Ports News Release
LAKE ELSINORE, Calif. - The Stockton Ports have the largest run differential between earned runs and unearned runs in the California League. Saturday night's effort versus the Lake Elsinore Storm didn't help. The Storm scored seven runs, four of them unearned, in a 7-2 win over the Ports at The Diamond.
Stockton scored the first run of the game in the top of the first. With two outs, James Harris singled, took second on an errant pick-off throw from Storm starter Brett Kennedy (1-2), and scored on an RBI single by Seth Brown to give Stockton a 1-0 lead.
Lake Elsinore had its first of two scoring innings in the bottom of the third. With runners at second and third and one out, Franchy Cordero hit a tapper back towards the mound. Ports starter Casey Meisner (0-8) fielded the ball cleanly but made an errant throw to the plate that allowed two runs to score. Luis Tejada followed with an RBI single and the Storm added a run later in the frame on a sac-fly by River Stevens to take a 4-1 lead.
Meisner would go on to suffer his eighth straight loss, going five innings and allowing four runs (two earned) on seven hits while striking out three.
Stockton got a run back in the top of the fifth. With the bases loaded and one out, Richie Martin hit into a fielder's choice groundout to drive in Sandber Pimentel and make it a 4-2 contest. It was the final run allowed by Kennedy, who earned the win after going six-and-two-thirds innings and allowing two runs (one earned) on nine hits.
Lake Elsinore salted the game away in the seventh by taking advantage of two Stockton errors. With Victor Veliz on the mound and with runners at first and second, Cordero hit a slow-roller to second that kicked off the glove of Joe Bennie that loaded the bases with nobody out. Tejada followed with a sac-fly to center to make it 5-2 and knock Veliz from the game. Lou Trivino entered and hit Trae Santos to load the bases. After recording a strikeout, Trivino got Stevens to put a ball in play to third that got through the legs of Jose Birzuela, an error that allowed two more runs to cross and give the Storm a 7-2 advantage.
Veliz went an inning-and-a-third and allowed three runs (one earned) on two hits. Trivino would pitch an inning-and-two-thirds scoreless while recording four strikeouts.
Taylor Cox pitched an inning-and-a-third of perfect relief for Lake Elsinore, and Ben Paullus set the side down in order in the ninth to secure the Lake Elsinore victory.
The Ports and Storm play the third game of their four-game set on Sunday afternoon at The Diamond. Zack Erwin (1-5, 4.99 ERA) makes the start for the Ports, opposed by Storm right-hander Zech Lemond (1-0, 0.00 ERA). First pitch is set for 1 p.m. PDT. This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.
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