CalL1 Stockton Ports

Five-Run Fifth Helps Ports Past Giants 11-5

Published on July 9, 2016 under California League (CalL1)
Stockton Ports News Release


SAN JOSE, Calif. - For the third straight night, the Stockton Ports scored five runs in the fifth inning. On Saturday night, it propelled them to an 11-5 win over the San Jose Giants at Municipal Stadium. The Ports victory was their first of the season in San Jose and it evened their four-game set with the Giants at a game apiece.

San Jose struck for two runs in the first inning as they took advantage of some poor Stockton defense. Dylan Davis hit a solo homer with two outs to bring in the first run of the ballgame. After the homer, back-to-back fielding errors were committed by shortstop Richie Martin and third baseman Melvin Mercedes that allowed a second run to score and make it a 2-0 Giants lead.

The two first inning runs were the only runs allowed by Ports starter Heath Fillmyer (4-5), who went on to pick up the victory after working five innings and allowing four hits while striking out two. Fillmyer retired the final eight batters he faced.

Stockton began to erase the deficit in the second. With one out, Seth Brown doubled and scored on an ensuing single by Sandber Pimentel that cut the Giants lead to 2-1. In the third, Mercedes and James Harris opened the inning with back-to-back singles. After a sacrificed moved them into scoring position, B.J. Boyd tied the contest with an RBI groundout to shortstop.

Giant starter Jose Reyes (2-3) would fall victim to a big inning in the fifth. Mercedes reached on an error committed by second baseman Jose Vizcaino, Jr. to open the inning. Harris followed with an RBI double to right-center to give the Ports their first lead at 3-2. Martin came up next and delivered an RBI single to center to make it a 4-2 advantage. Later in the inning with two outs, Brown walked to put two aboard and Pimentel followed with a three-run homer to left-center that gave Stockton a 7-2 lead.

Reyes would finish the fifth but go on to suffer the loss, allowing seven runs (three earned) on nine hits while walking one and striking out one.

Dusten Knight took over in the sixth and would give up six straight hits to open his outing. Iolana Akau, Mercedes and Harris each singled to start the inning. After the Harris single a throwing error was made by center fielder Ronnie Jebavy that allowed Akau to score from third. Martin followed with a two-run double to left that made it a 10-2 Ports lead.

Casey Meisner took over for Fillmyer in the sixth. Meisner would allow one run in his three innings of work, a home run hit by Christian Paulino in the seventh that cut the Ports lead to 10-3. Stockton got the run back in the eighth on a two-out solo homer by Boyd off Knight.

Meisner went three innings and allowed one run on five hits while striking out three. Knight pitched three innings and allowed four runs on eight hits while striking out two.

Lou Trivino took over to pitch the bottom of the ninth and gave up a leadoff walk to Ty Ross, followed by a single to Paulino that put two aboard. After Jebavy grounded out to advance the runners, Robbie Garvey grounded out to score Ross and make it 11-4. Davis followed with his fourth hit of the night, a single to right field to drive in Paulino to make it 11-5. Trivino, though, would get Jonah Arenado to hit into a fielder's choice force-play that ended the ballgame.

Pimentel went 3-for-5 with a homer on the night and drove in four of the 11 Ports runs.

The Ports and Giants play the third game of their four-game set on Sunday night at Municipal Stadium. Right-hander Matt Sergey (0-0, 3.60 ERA) makes his second start of the season for Stockton. He'll be opposed by Giants right-hander Jose Morel (2-3, 3.10 ERA). First pitch is set for 5 p.m. PDT. This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.

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California League Stories from July 9, 2016


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