Big Inning Lifts Ports to 4-2 Victory
April 11, 2016 - California League (CalL1)
Stockton Ports News Release
STOCKTON, Calif. - The Stockton Ports needed just one big two-out rally to defeat the Modesto Nuts on Sunday afternoon at Banner Island Ballpark. Stockton plated four runs on four two-out hits in the bottom of the fifth inning on their way to a 4-2 win over Modesto and their second win in three games played on opening weekend.
The ballgame began as a pitcher's duel as Stockton's Heath Fillmyer (1-0) and Modesto's Jon Gray (0-1) kept the game scoreless through four innings. Fillmyer escaped a jam with runners at the corners and nobody out in the fourth while Gray, who appeared on a Major League rehab assignment for the Rockies, pitched around a leadoff walk and ensuing single in the second.
Stockton struck for their only runs in the bottom of the fifth. With a runner at first and two outs, Jose Brizuela hit an RBI double to left off of Gray to give the Ports a 1-0 lead. Gray was then lifted for Yoely Bello, who gave up three straight hits to drive in three more runs, a double by James Harris and back-to-back singles by B.J. Boyd and Joe Bennie to make it a 4-0 Stockton lead.
Gray was tagged with the loss, going 4.2 innings and allowing two runs on four hits while striking out three. Bello allowed two runs on three hits in a third of an inning of relief.
Fillmyer pitched into the sixth and gave up a leadoff single to Omar Carrizales. With Carrizales at third base and two outs, Fillmyer uncorked a wild pitch that allowed Modesto's first run of the game to score. After Drew Weeks singled, Fillmyer was lifted for Carlos Navas who induced a flyout to end the frame.
Fillmyer earned the victory, going 5.2 innings in his California League debut and allowing one run on three hits while striking out three.
After Navas pitched a scoreless seventh, Ben Bracewell (SV, 1) entered to pith the eighth and gave up a leadoff single to Wes Rogers, who stole second, advanced to third on a groundout and scored on a sac-fly by Weeks to make it a 4-2 contest. Bracewell went on to pitch the ninth and issued a leadoff walk to Collin Ferguson, but proceeded to strike out the next three batters in succession to close out the ballgame and pick up his first save of the season.
Carlos Polanco pitched the final three innings for Modesto and did not allow a hit.
After taking two of three from the Nuts, the Ports welcome the Lancaster JetHawks to town to begin a three-game series on Monday night at Banner Island Ballpark. Casey Meisner (0-0, 0.00 ERA) gets the start for Stockton. First pitch is set for 7:10 p.m. PDT.
California League Stories from April 11, 2016
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