CalL1 Stockton Ports

Ninth-Inning Rally Nets Ports 6-5 Victory

Published on May 11, 2016 under California League (CalL1)
Stockton Ports News Release


VISALIA, Calif. - For the third time this season, the Stockton Ports won a ballgame when trailing after the eighth inning. On Wednesday afternoon at Recreation Ballpark, the Ports blew a 4-0 lead but managed to score a pair of runs in the ninth to salvage the game in a 6-5 win over the Visalia Rawhide.

Stockton got to Visalia starter Wei-Chieh Huang early as Huang had to face 15 batters over the first two innings. Following a leadoff single by James Harris to open the ballgame, Melvin Mercedes laid down a sacrifice bunt on which catcher Oscar Hernandez made an errant throw to first, allowing Harris to score and Mercedes to reach second. After a B.J. Boyd single and Tyler Marincov walk loaded the bases, Seth Brown drew a bases-loaded walk to stretch the Stockton lead to 2-0. With the bases loaded and still nobody out, Huang escaped further damage with back-to-back strikeouts and a fly out to center.

Stockton's bats stayed hot into the second. After back-to-back singles and a fielder's choice play on which no out was recorded, the Ports had the bases loaded with nobody out again. Boyd singled to center to score two more runs and make it a 4-0 lead. Huang, though, would again limit the damage by getting Marincov to hit into a double-play.

The Ports had a chance to throw a haymaker in the fourth as they loaded the bases with nobody out on three straight singles to start the frame. Huang got Marincov to pop out to the shortstop, Brown to strike out and Sandber Pimentel to ground out to escape unscathed and keep Visalia in the ballgame.

Huang was rendered a no-decision, going five innings and allowing four runs (three earned) on nine hits while walking three and striking out five.

Meanwhile, Ports starter Brett Graves scattered three hits over the first four innings to keep the Rawhide out of the run column. In the fifth, however, Graves issued back-to-back walks to open the inning. With two on and one out, Domingo Leyba hit a sharp ground ball to third that got underneath the glove of Jose Brizuela, an error that allowed two runs to score and cut the Ports lead in half at 4-2. Those were the only runs allowed by Graves in five innings of work. Graves, who left with a chance to be the winning pitcher, settled for a no-decision after allowing three hits while striking out two.

Visalia reliever Austin Wright entered the game to start the sixth and pitched two scoreless innings while striking out five. In the meantime, the Rawhide offense got hot in the bottom of the seventh facing Ports reliever Joey Wagman. Wagman gave up an infield single to Colin Bray to start the inning and then walked Hernandez to put two aboard. After a sacrifice bunt, Leyba was intentionally walked to load the bases and Marty Herum followed with a two-run double to left-center to tie the game at 4-4. Two batters later, Grant Heyman provided a sac-fly to let to give Visalia its first lead of the series at 5-4.

Wagman allowed three runs on four hits over two innings of work.

Trailing by a run, the Ports rallied in the ninth facing Rawhide reliever Jared Miller (0-1). After striking out Brown to start the inning, Miller walked John Nogowski and then gave up a single to Mikey White. Pinch-hitter Joe Bennie followed and drew a walk to load the bases and, with the infield in, Argenis Raga delivered a two-run single up the middle to give the Ports a 6-5 lead.

Miller suffered the loss as he allowed two runs on three hits over two innings of work.

After Cody Stull (1-1) pitched a perfect eighth and recorded two strikeouts, Carlos Navas (SV, 1) was summoned for the ninth. Navas gave up a two-out walk to Herum, but got Rudy Flores to ground out to end the ballgame and notch his first save of the season. Stull was credited with his first California League victory.

Boyd went 4-for-4 for Stockton and notched his second four-hit performance of the season.

Winners of three straight, the Ports will try for a series sweep of the Rawhide on Thursday night at Recreation Ballpark. Heath Fillmyer (3-1, 3.86 ERA) makes the start for Stockton, opposed by Visalia right-hander Brad Keller (2-1, 3.65 ERA). First pitch is set for 7 p.m. PDT.

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California League Stories from May 11, 2016


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