Home Runs Help Ports to 8-5 Victory
July 29, 2016 - California League (CalL1)
Stockton Ports News Release
STOCKTON, Calif. - The Stockton Ports scored five of their eight runs on two swings of the bat Thursday night at Banner Island Ballpark and it propelled them to a second straight victory. Sandber Pimentel and B.J. Boyd each homered as the Ports took down the Visalia Rawhide by a final of 8-5 to open a seven-game homestand.
Visalia took quick 1-0 lead as Colin Bray tripled to open the game and scored on an ensuing groundout by Cody Regis. Stockton countered in the bottom of the first as James Harris, Jose Brizuela and Boyd each singled with Boyd driving in Harris to tie the game at 1-1. Three batters later with two on and two out, Mikey White doubled to right-center to score two more runs and make it a 3-1 Stockton lead.
The Ports widened their lead in the third. After back-to-back singles by Boyd and Joe Bennie, Pimentel hit a three-run homer to right to make it a 6-1 ballgame. In the fourth with one on and two out, Boyd homered to right to run the Stockton lead to 8-1.
Rawhide starter Markus Solbach (0-1) went four innings and allowed all eight Stockton runs in a losing effort. Solbach allowed nine hits and struck out five.
Ports starter James Nail (1-0), after allowing the early run, retired 10 of his next 11 batters. Nail cruised through the fifth but allowed the first three batters to reach in the sixth, loading the bases with nobody out. Nail would uncork a wild pitch that allowed a run to score and, after Grant Heyman hit a sac-fly to center, Nail was lifted for Corey Miller. Miller would allow a two-out single to Robelys Reyes that cut the Stockton lead to 8-4.
Nail would go on to pick up his first California League win, going 5.1 innings and allowing four runs on six hits while striking out seven for a second straight outing.
Miller went on to pitch an inning-and-two-thirds scoreless. Koby Gauna took over in the eighth and would retire the first five batters he faced. With two outs in the ninth, Gauna gave up a home run to Bray that cut the Stockton lead to 8-5. After Regis singled, Gauna got Chad Oberacker to fly out to left field to end the ballgame.
Visalia's bullpen, a combination of Jency Solis, Drew Muren and Cameron Gann, combined to pitch four scoreless innings while allowing just two hits in that span.
The Ports and Rawhide play the second game of their four-game set on Friday night at Banner Island Ballpark. Kyle Friedrichs (3-3, 4.09 ERA) makes the start for Stockton, opposed by Visalia right-hander Brad Keller (8-6, 4.18 ERA). First pitch is set for 7:10 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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California League Stories from July 29, 2016
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