CalL1 Stockton Ports

Five-Run Eighth Nets Ports 8-6 Victory

Published on April 17, 2016 under California League (CalL1)
Stockton Ports News Release


MODESTO, Calif. - One night after a marathon 17-inning victory, the Stockton Ports earned back-to-back wins for the first time in 2016. Stockton came from behind to score five runs in the eighth inning on its way to an 8-6 win over the Modesto Nuts Saturday night at John Thurman Field.

The Ports wasted no time opening the scoring as Melvin Mercedes reached on a fielding error with one out in the first and scored on an ensuing double by Joe Bennie to give the Ports the initial lead. Modesto countered with a two-run homer hit by Collin Ferguson in the second to take its first lead. In the top of the third, Stockton loaded the bases with nobody out and got a sac-fly from Bennie and, two batters later, a bases loaded walk drawn by Mikey White to grab the lead back at 3-2.

Nuts starter Carlos Polanco would settle down after the third and go on to pitch 5.2 innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on six hits while walking four and striking out four.

Ports starter Casey Meisner had control issues in the fourth as he issued back-to-back walks to start the inning. With the bases loaded and one out, Wes Rogers tied the game at 3-3 with a sac-fly to center. It was the final run allowed by Meisner, who received a no-decision after going four innings and allowing three runs on four hits while matching a career high with four walks allowed.

Carlos Navas (1-0) took over in the fifth and hit back-to-back batters to open his outing. After a double play put a runner at third base with two outs, Navas struck out Drew Weeks but a wild pitch allowed Weeks to reach and White to score from third to give Modesto a 4-3 lead. Navas went on to strike out six straight beginning with the strikeout of Weeks and he'd earn the win, allowing one run on one hit over three innings of work.

Logan Sawyer (0-1), who came on to finish the sixth for Modesto, retired the first four batters he faced in his Cal-League debut. In the eighth, however, Sawyer gave up a leadoff single to Tyler Marincov. Two batters later, Seth Brown walked and John Nogowski followed with a game-tying RBI single to left to knot the score at 4-4. After Argenis Raga walked to load the bases, Sandber Pimentel delivered his first hit of the season, a two-run double to right to give Stockton a 6-4 lead. James Harris followed with a two-run single to make it an 8-4 advantage.

Sawyer suffered the loss, allowing five runs on four hits over two-and-a-third innings of work.

Kyle Finnegan entered the game to start the eighth for Stockton and quickly wound up in a bases loaded jam with nobody out after back-to-back singles and a walk. Emerson Jimenez hit into a fielder's choice to bring a run in for Modesto, but Finnegan was able to bear down and strike out Rogers and get Forrest Wall to ground out to avoid further trouble.

Finnegan pitched the ninth as well and gave up three straight one-out singles, the last coming from Weeks to drive in Shane Hoelscher to cut the Stockton lead to 8-6. After a strikeout, a double steal put the possible-tying runs in scoring position. Finnegan, though, would get Troy Stein to ground out to end the ballgame.

The Ports and Nuts wrap up their four-game series on Sunday afternoon at John Thurman Field. Zack Erwin (0-1, 0.00 ERA) makes the start for Stockton, opposed by Modesto right-hander Ryan Castellani (0-0, 3.60 ERA). First pitch is set for 1:05 p.m. PDT.

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California League Stories from April 17, 2016


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