CalL1 Stockton Ports

Early Homer Sinks Ports in 1-0 Loss

Published on August 14, 2015 under California League (CalL1)
Stockton Ports News Release


MODESTO, Calif. - It took only a solo home run and less than two hours to end the Stockton Ports four-game win streak on Thursday night at John Thurman Field. Michael Benjamin, Jr. hit a one-out solo homer in the bottom of the first inning and that stood as the lone run of the contest as the Modesto Nuts defeated the Ports by a final of 1-0 and ended their six-game losing streak. The game took just one hour and fifty-nine minutes to play.

Ports starter Kyle Finnegan (6-8) gave up the home run to left field in the first inning to Benjamin, the second batter he faced. After the home run, Finnegan went on to retire the next five batters before allowing a leadoff single in the third ton Wilfredo Rodriguez. After the single, Finnegan went on to retire nine-in-a-row to end his outing and Lou Trivino, who came on in relief, retired his first five batters to make it 14-in-a-row set down by Ports pitching.

Finnegan would suffer the tough-luck loss, going five innings and allowing one run on two hits while striking out five.

Nuts starter Kyle Freeland (1-0) allowed five hits in his seven innings of work, but induced three double-plays in that span. Yairo Munoz hit into a twin-killing to end the first, Tyler Marincov to end the second and B.J. Boyd to end the fifth.

Stockton's best scoring chance of the night came in the seventh. Munoz led off the inning with a double to left. Freeland would retire the next three batters without allowing Munoz to score to preserve the 1-0 Modesto advantage.

Freeland earned his first California League victory, going seven shutout innings and allowing five hits while striking out four.

Johendi Jiminian set the side down in order in the eighth for the Nuts. Closer Matt Carasiti (SV, 17) came on to pitch the ninth and allowed a leadoff single to Brett Vertigan, but got Tyler Ladendorf to hit into a 5-4-3 double-play, the fourth double-play of the night induced by Nuts pitching. After a two-out single by Munoz kept the game alive, Jake Nottingham struck out to end the ballgame. Carasiti notched his 17th save of the season.

Ladendorf, who was the Ports DH all nine innings, went 0-for-4 in his second game of rehab with Stockton.

After taking two of three in Modesto, the Ports return home to begin a six-game homestand starting with a three-game series against the Visalia Rawhide on Friday. In a battle of southpaws, Matt Stalcup (2-3, 3.32 ERA) makes the start for Stockton in the series opener, opposed by Visalia's Anthony Banda (7-8, 3.64 ERA). First pitch is set for 7:10 p.m. PDT.

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California League Stories from August 14, 2015


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