Visalia Goes Quiet in 15-2 Rout
April 20, 2016 - California League (CalL1)
Visalia Rawhide News Release
VISALIA, CA - The Rawhide (9-3, 9-3) gave up season highs in runs and hits, falling to the Stockton Ports (6-6, 6-6) 15-2 on Tuesday night at Recreation Ballpark to even the series at a win apiece.
After Stockton took an early 1-0 lead on a 2B Joe Bennie RBI double in the first against RHP Miller Diaz (0-1, 10.32), Visalia answered in the home half. 1B Cody Regis singled and moved to second on a CF Colin Bray groundout. SS Domingo Leyba walked and 2B Henry Castillo singled in the infield to load the bases. LF Grant Heyman then knocked in both Regis and Leyba to give Visalia a 2-1 lead.
Both Regis and Heyman stretched their hitting streaks to eight games apiece with singles in the first inning.
The lead was short lived when Stockton sent 11 men to the plate in the third, chasing Diaz from the game and scoring seven runs. An infield single and a walk started the whole rally. Back-to-back walks followed, the latter of which pushed in the tying run and made it a 2-2 ballgame. 3B Jose Brizuela followed with a two-run double, 1B Sandber Pimentel knocked in one with a single, SS Melvin Mercedes picked up an RBI with a single and CF James Harris, who had a four-hit night, drove in two with a double to make 8-2 Stockton.
Diaz lasted just 2.1 innings and allowed nine hits, eight runs (seven earned), he walked three and struck out one, taking his first loss of the season.
Visalia's offense never scored again, stranding two runners in the second, third and fifth and leaving one man on in the eighth and ninth.
Stockton added a run in the fourth on a Brizuela RBI single to push the lead to 9-2. Another run came home in the fifth when RF Tyler Marincov had an RBI groundout, pushing the lead to 10-2 and then five more insurance runs in the sixth against LHP Zac Curtis. Harris drove in another run with a single to make 11-2, followed by Bennie adding a two-run single to make it 13-2. Then with Marincov up, a two-run error charged to SS Domingo Leyba plated the final two tallies.
When the dust settled it was 15-2. The combination of RHP Jimmie Sherfy and RHP Bud Jeter managed to retire the final 10 Ports that came to the plate but Visalia's offense never truly mounted a comeback effort.
RHP Brett Graves (1-2, 6.75) earned the victory for his six innings of work. He gave up eight hits and two runs; he did not walk anybody and struck out five. For Graves it was his first win of the 2016 campaign.
Tomorrow night is the rubber match between Visalia and Stockton, with a 6:00 p.m. first pitch. On the mound will be RHP Brad Keller (0-0, 4.09) against the 25th ranked prospect in the A's organization RHP Heath Fillmyer (1-0, 1.64).
Tomorrow night is also Win-Win Wednesday at Recreation Ballpark. If the Rawhide win tomorrow night everyone gets a free ticket to the next Wednesday home game! It's also the third annual Craft Beer Night presented by Tioga-Sequoia Brewing Co. Call 559-732-4433 for more information.
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