Big Lead Evaporates Against Giants in Extra-Inning Loss
May 17, 2025 - California League (CalL)
Stockton Ports News Release
STOCKTON, Calif. - The Ports let one slip away against the Giants on Friday night, missing an opportunity to tie the series at two apiece, and instead allowing San Jose to come back from an 8-1 deficit and win 11-10 in 11 innings.
The Ports (17-20) got sac flies to right from Davis Diaz in the first and third innings, with a solo home run (2) from Jared Sprague-Lott in the second to take an early 3-0 lead. They got another run on an RBI fielder's choice from Jesus Fernandez after Cesar Franco tripled (1) into center for a 4-0 advantage.
The Giants (21-16) got on the board in the top of fifth, but Stockton answered with four runs in the bottom of the inning. A bases-loaded walk for Sprague-Lott, an error at short, and a two-RBI single by Gunner Gouldsmith capped off the four-run rally to make it 8-1 Ports.
But San Jose got one back in the sixth on a balk by Wei-En Lin with a runner at third. They scored three unearned runs in the seventh, which put all the momentum squarely into the Giants' dugout and cut it to an 8-5 game. The big knock was a two-RBI single by Jean Carlos Sio who went 4 for 5 and drove in five runs.
The Giants got one more run in the eighth on a wild pitch with Aidan Layton on the mound to make it 8-6, and Walker Martin delivered the biggest blow of the night when he tied the game at 8-8 in the ninth on his third home run (7) of the series, again to the opposite field. The Ports tried to go to Riley Huge back-to-back nights for the first time as they look to establish him as their closer, but he couldn't close out his second save in as many games. Cesar Franco preserved the tie with a diving stop into the gap in right center, for his second game saving play of the series.
It looked like San Jose might win it in the 10th when they plated a pair, but Stockton did the same in the bottom of the inning when Cam Leary singled home Cesar Franco and an error in right scored Fernandez to tie it at 10-10 with no one out. The Ports would strand two runners though with two strikeouts and a pop up to send the game to the 11th.
There the Giants would get a run across on a Zander Darby RBI single of Felix Castro before the home team would go down in order in the ninth.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS: It was just the second time this season the Ports lost when scoring eight runs or more. It was their first time going to extras since the season opener in Fresno, also losing by one run in 11 innings in that contest as well. It was just their third loss of the season when leading after eight runs, making them 16-3 in that situation.
UP NEXT: The Giants will start LHP Jacob Bresnahan (0-1, 4.81) versus the Ports RHP Tzu-Chen Sha (2-2, 1.93) for another 7:05 scheduled first pitch. It will be a busy night at Banner Island Ballpark, with postgame fireworks, along with alumni, little league, and armed forces night.
Single game tickets, mini plans, and group outings are all on sale for the 2025 season. For more information, call the Ports front office at 209-644-1900.
California League Stories from May 17, 2025
- Big Lead Evaporates Against Giants in Extra-Inning Loss - Stockton Ports
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