Late Ports Rally Comes up Short in 11-8 Loss
August 29, 2016 - California League (CalL1)
Stockton Ports News Release
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. - The Bakersfield Blaze took one final bow in the final regular season game ever played at Historic Sam Lynn Ballpark. The Blaze hit three home runs and held off a late Stockton Ports rally as they took the rubber match of a three-game series by a final of 11-8, putting Stockton seven games back of first place with seven games left to play.
Bakersfield scored the first seven runs of the game beginning in the second. With runners at first and second and one out, Braden Bishop hit an RBI single to right to score Jay Baum and give the Blaze a 1-0 lead. Justin Seager followed with an RBI groundout to make it a 2-0 advantage.
Ports starter Brett Graves (7-10) allowed his final run in the third, his last inning of work. With two outs, Graves issued back-to-back walks followed by an RBI double to Joe DeCarlo that scored Chantz Mack while Baum was thrown out on a relay at the plate to end the inning.
Graves suffered his second straight loss, going three innings and allowing three runs on three hits while walking four and striking out three.
Corey Miller took over in the fourth and gave up a leadoff home run to Austin Wilson. Miler would go on to issue a pair of walks and uncork a wild pitch with Seager at third base that led to another run. After a fielding error committed by first baseman Sandber Pimentel, Drew Jackson hit a two-run double to left to make it a 7-0 lead.
Miller allowed four runs (three earned) on two hits while walking two and striking out two in his lone inning of work.
Stockton's bats were shut down over the first five innings by Blaze starter Zack Littell (8-1). Littell escaped a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the fourth inning and pitched around a leadoff single in the fifth. The Ports finally got on the board with one out in the sixth on a one-out home run by Jose Brizuela. After Littell walked Pimentel, he was lifted for Rafael Pineda, who gave up a two-out RBI double to Justin Higley that cut the Blaze lead to 7-2. Higley went on to score on a passed ball to make it a 7-3 contest.
Littell would earn the win, going five-and-a-third innings and allowing two runs on six hits while walking three and striking out three. Pineda allowed an unearned run in an inning-and-two-thirds worked.
Bakersfield got the three runs right back on one swing of the bat in the bottom of the sixth facing Koby Gauna. With two on and one out, Mack hit a three-run homer to center to make it a seven-run game again at 10-3. Gauna allowed three runs on six hits over two innings of work.
Bakersfield's final run of the game came on the first pitch of the bottom of the seventh thrown by Matt Sergey, which was hit by Seager out to center field for a home run. It was the only run allowed by Sergey in an inning-and-two-thirds.
Vinny Nittoli took over for the Blaze in the top of the eighth and struggled. After a walk and a double put two aboard with one out, Higley delivered his third hit of the night, a two-run double to left that cut the Ports deficit to 11-5. Higley scored on an ensuing sacrifice fly by Argenis Raga. After Seth Brown reached on an error committed by the first baseman Seager, Richie Martin delivered a two-run homer to left-center to bring the Ports to within three runs at 11-8.
Nittoli allowed five runs (three earned) on three hits in his lone inning of relief.
Thyago Vieira (SV, 7) took over in the ninth and got himself in early trouble. John Nogowski opened the inning with a single and pinch-runner Melvin Mercedes was inserted. Brizuela came up next and drew a walk to bring the possible-tying run to the plate. Vieira then struck out Pimentel and got White to line out to third. Higley came up next and reached on an infield single, making him 4-for-5 on the night. Raga came to the plate with the bases loaded and checked his swing on a two-strike pitch in the dirt. Mercedes, the runner at third, cheated down the line too far. Blaze catcher Ray Guerrini blocked the pitch and threw down to third where Mercedes was picked off to end the ballgame.
Following a day off Monday, the Ports return home on Tuesday to begin a seven-game homestand that wraps up the 2016 season beginning with a three-game series versus the Visalia Rawhide. James Naile (4-1, 3.68 ERA) makes the start in the series opener for Stockton, opposed by Rawhide right-hander Joel Payamps (7-4, 4.66 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 August 29, 2016
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- Late Ports Rally Comes up Short in 11-8 Loss - Stockton Ports
- Blaze Win 11-8 - Bakersfield Blaze
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