Ports Blow Largest Lead of Season, Fall 7-6
June 13, 2016 - California League (CalL1)
Stockton Ports News Release
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. - After finally snapping a 10-game losing streak on Saturday night, the Stockton Ports suffered yet another crushing loss on Sunday at Sam Lynn Ballpark. Leading 6-0, the Ports saw the Bakersfield Blaze score the final seven runs of the ballgame, including the final two with two outs in the bottom of the ninth. Bakersfield walked off with a 7-6 victory and earned a series victory to punctuate the four-game set.
For the second straight night, Stockton scored three runs in the top of the first. With two on and two out, Sandber Pimentel delivered a three-run homer to center to open the scoring. After failing to convert in the third and fourth innings with runners at second and third and one out, the Ports finally added to their lead in the fifth. Melvin Mercedes opened the frame with a bunt single and B.J. Boyd followed with a two-run homer to center, his first of the season. After Joe Bennie drew a walk and Pimentel singled, Blaze starter Tyler Herb was lifted for Kody Kerski, who gave up a one-out RBI single to Jose Brizuela that ran the Stockton lead to 6-0.
Herb would not factor into the decision though he was one out away from suffering the loss, He went four-plus innings and allowed six runs on eight hits while striking out five.
Port starter Brett Graves did not allow the Blaze to score over the first four innings while stranding five base runners in that span. In the fifth, however, four hits and an error would allow the Blaze to get back into the ballgame. With runners at first and second and nobody out, Jay Baum hit a ball to third that, had the third baseman Brizuela fielded it cleanly, could've gone for a double-play. Brizulea, though, had the ball kick off his glove which loaded the bases with nobody out. Chantz Mack came up next and lined a two-run single to right that put the Blaze on the board. After a fielder's choice groundout and a strikeout, Daniel Torres and Joe DeCarlo hit back-to-back RBI singles that scored two more runs and cut the Stockton lead to 6-4.
Graves made it through the fifth and was on the verge of being the winning pitcher but did not factor into the decision, going five innings and allowing four runs (one earned) on eight hits while striking out two.
Cody Stull took over in the sixth and, after pitching a scoreless frame, came back out for the seventh. Stull gave up back-to-back singles to Mack and Kyle Petty to open the inning and an RBI groundout later in the inning to Torres to cut the Ports lead to a run at 6-5. Stull went an inning-and-two-thirds and allowed one run on three hits.
Lou Trivino took over to record the final out of the seventh and strand the bases loaded. Trivino allowed a leadoff single in the eighth and then was lifted for Carlos Navas (1-3). Navas would record back-to-back strikeouts upon entering the game and pitch around a two-out single to preserve the Ports lead through the eighth.
Navas came back out to try and finish off the save in the ninth. With one out, Navas walked DeCarlo and then struck out Justin Seager for the second out. Gianfranco Wawoe came up next and looped a single to left to put runners at first and second. Aaron Barbosa came up next with the tying run at second and winning run at first and hit a two-run double over the head of Boyd in center that scored both runners and gave the Blaze a walk-off 7-6 victory.
Navas suffered the loss as he allowed two runs on four hits in an inning-and-two-thirds of work. Bakersfield's bullpen, a combination of Kody Kerski and Jacob Zokan (2-0), combined for five innings of scoreless relief with Zokan setting down all six batters he faced over the eighth and ninth innings to pick up the victory.
After dropping three of four in Bakersfield, the Ports return home to play a four-game series over three days with Modesto beginning with a doubleheader on Monday at Banner Island Ballpark. In the opener of the twin-bill, Henderson Alvarez (0-0, 2.57 ERA) makes the start for the Ports on a Major League rehab assignment, opposed by Nuts right-hander Parker French (2-4, 2.96 ERA). In the second game, Heath Fillmyer (3-4, 3.06 ERA) gets the nod for the Ports, opposed by Nuts left-hander Helmis Rodriguez (1-3, 3.79 ERA). First pitch is set for 6:10 p.m. PDT.
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- Ports Blow Largest Lead of Season, Fall 7-6 - Stockton Ports
- Blaze Erase Six-Run Deficit, Walk off 7-6 - Bakersfield Blaze
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