Ports Battle Back But Fall 9-7
August 17, 2018 - California League (CalL1)
Stockton Ports News Release
LANCASTER, Calif. - The Stockton Ports' bid to sweep their first series since late June fell one win short on Thursday night at The Hangar. In their final game of the regular season with the Lancaster JetHawks, the Ports fell behind by six runs and nearly erased a big deficit in the late innings. Stockton's comeback bid fizzled, however, in a 9-7 loss to the JetHawks in the final game of a three-game series.
The Ports drew first blood in the second inning when, with two outs and the bases empty, Brett Siddall homered to right field to give Stockton a 1-0 lead. Santiago Chavez followed with a double and scored on an ensuing single by Cobie Vance to make it a 2-0 contest.
The JetHawks fired back with two runs on one swing of the bat in the bottom of the second. With one on and one out, Bret Boswell hit a two-run homer off Ports starter Matt Milburn (7-5) to tie the game at 2-2, the start of eight straight runs scored by Lancaster to surge ahead. Manny Melendez led off the third inning with a double and scored two batters later on a single by Colton Welker to make it 3-2. In the fourth, Melendez came up with two on and one out and tripled to the right field corner to make it a 5-2 game and Welker added a sac-fly to run the lead to 6-2.
Vince Fernandez homered off Milburn to open the fifth inning and make it a 7-2 contest. It was the final run allowed by Milburn who suffered the loss on the night, going five innings and allowing a career-high 11 hits while walking two and striking out two.
Eric Marinez came on to pitch the sixth for Stockton in his season debut as a pitcher and gave up a one-out single to Carlos Herrera followed by an RBI double to Welker that ran the JetHawks lead to 8-2. It was the only run allowed by Marinez as he recorded back-to-back strikeouts to end the sixth and his first full inning as a professional pitcher.
JetHawks starter Antonio Santos (3-2) worked into the sixth and left with two on and nobody out as Ben Bowden came on and stranded Santos' runners to end the inning. Santos would earn the win in the contest, going five-plus innings and allowing two runs on seven hits while striking out five.
Stockton got on the comeback trail in the seventh inning with Bowden on the mound. Bowden would allow three singles which loaded the bases with one out. Bowden was then lifted for Alexander Guillen, who yielded a bases-clearing triple to Luke Persico that vaulted the Ports back into the contest and made it 8-5. Persico scored on an ensuing sac-fly by Viosergy Rosa to make it 8-6.
Bowden was charged with three runs on three hits over 1 1/3 innings. Guillen worked 2/3 of an inning and allowed one run.
Robert Tyler came on to pitch the eighth and gave up a leadoff homer to Greg Deichmann, his second in as many games, that brought Stockton to within a run at 8-7.
Jake Bray took over in the seventh for the Ports as he came off the disabled list and made his first appearance since May 28 in working a perfect inning while recording a pair of strikeouts. Sam Sheehan took over in the eighth and gave up an infield single to Steven Linkous who went to second on a throwing error committed by the third baseman Vance. Two batters later, Herrera tripled to score Linkous and run the JetHawks lead to 9-7. It was the only run allowed by Sheehan in his only frame worked.
Justin Lawrence (SV, 9) came on and worked the ninth for the JetHawks. Lawrence gave up a one-out walk to Chase Calabuig to put the possible-tying run into the batter's box. Lawrence would strike out Persico before allowing an infield single to Rosa that put the tying run at first. Edwin Diaz came up next and worked a full count before striking out swinging to end the ballgame. Lawrence notched his ninth save of the season for the JetHawks.
After taking two of three games in Lancaster, the Ports return home to open a six-game homestand beginning with a three-game series with the Visalia Rawhide. Wyatt Marks (1-0, 2.45 ERA) makes the start for Stockton, opposed by Rawhide right-hander Riley Smith (7-5, 3.54 ERA). First pitch at Banner Island Ballpark is set for 7:10 p.m. PDT.
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California League Stories from August 17, 2018
- Ports Battle Back But Fall 9-7 - Stockton Ports
- Quakes Blast Storm to Go 5-1 on Home Stand - Rancho Cucamonga Quakes
- Sustained Offensive Burst Ends Four-Game Skid - Modesto Nuts
- Offense Comes through, JetHawks End Skid - Lancaster JetHawks
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