Ports Close Season with Thrilling 11-10 Win in 12
September 6, 2016 - California League (CalL1)
Stockton Ports News Release
STOCKTON, Calif. - The final game ever between the Stockton Ports and Bakersfield Blaze did not disappoint on Labor Day at Banner Island Ballpark. Each team blew big leads and each team had come-from-behind moments that sent the game into extra innings where John Nogowski (2-0) made himself the winning pitcher with a two-out walk-off single in the bottom of the 12th to give Stockton an 11-10 victory to close out the 2016 season.
Bakersfield scored a run in the second on a leadoff homer by Kyle Petty and a run in the third on a two-out RBI single by Chantz Mack to take a 2-0 lead. Stockton scored two in the bottom of the third to tie the score. With two outs, Melvin Mercedes singled and Arismendy Alcantara and Chris Iriart followed with back-to-back doubles off Blaze starter Anthony Misiewicz.
Bakersfield held its largest lead after a three-run fourth inning. Ports starter Mitchell Jordan gave up a leadoff single to Petty and a walk to Joe DeCarlo and then was lifted for Koby Gauna. Gauna gave up an RBI single to Austin Wilson and, two batters later, a two-run single to Daniel Torres that gave the Blaze a 5-2 advantage.
Jordan would not factor into the decision, going three-plus innings and allowing four runs on five hits while walking two and striking out two. Gauna allowed one run on three hits in three innings of relief.
Stockton erased its three-run deficit beginning in the fourth. Nogowski led off with a double and Justin Higley followed with a single to right that put runners at the corners. Mikey White provided a sac-fly to right to cut the Blaze lead to 5-3. Iriart singled to open the fifth and Nogowski followed two batters later with a single to put two aboard. Two batters later with two outs, White delivered an RBI single to left to make it a one run game at 5-4. After Argenis Raga walked to load the bases, Seth Brown struck out swinging to end the inning and the outing for Misiewicz.
Misiewicz did not factor into the decision as he went five innings and allowed four runs on nine hits while striking out eight.
The Ports tied the game in the sixth on a two-out solo homer by Iriart off Blaze reliever Rafael Pineda, his third home run in his last six at-bats. Pineda would pitch into the seventh and hit Nogowski to open the inning. Two batters later White singled to left and Raga followed with a double off the wall that was booted in left by Jay Baum, allowing White to score behind Nogowski on the error that made it a 7-5 Ports lead. After Brown drew a walk, Pineda was lifted for Kody Kerski, who gave up an infield single to Mercedes that drove in Raga. Two batters later, Iriart hit into a fielder's choice force play that brought home Brown and gave the Ports their largest lead at 9-5.
Pineda allowed five runs on three hits over an inning-and-third. Kerski pitched two-thirds of an inning without allowing a run of his own to score.
Corey Miller took over in the seventh and set the side down in order in his first frame. Miller retired the first two batters of the eighth before issuing a two-out walk to Baum, throwing a wild pitch and giving up an RBI single to DeCarlo. Miller was then lifted for Jared Lyons, who gave up a single to Wilson and then walked Braden Bishop to load the bases. With the bases full and two outs, Torres delivered a three-run double to the right field corner that tied the contest at 9-9.
Miller was charged with two runs on one hit over an inning-and-two-thirds. Lyons pitched into the ninth and gave up back-to-back one-out walks to Mack and Baum. After recording the second out, he was lifted for Victor Veliz, who surrendered a two-out RBI single to DeCarlo to give Bakersfield a 10-9 lead.
Lyons allowed three runs on two hits over one inning. Veliz did not allow a run of his own over an inning-and-a-third.
Tyago Vieira took over for the Blaze in the eighth and set the side down in order in his first inning. Vieira pitched into the ninth where he gave up a one-out walk to Brown and then uncorked a wild pitch that allowed Brown to get into scoring position. Mercedes would then deliver an RBI single to right to score Brown and tie the game at 10-10. Vieira was then lifted for Vinny Nittoli, who stranded Mercedes in scoring position by getting Alcantara to ground out and Irart to strike out to send the game into extra innings.
Veliz would pitch through the 10th for Stockton and escape a bases-loaded jam after allowing a single and two walks. Matt Sergey pitched around a one-out single in the 11th. Meanwhile for Bakersfield, Nittoli set the side down in order in the 10th and issued a two-out walk to Brown in the 11th, but promptly picked him off of first to end the inning.
Nogowski, the designated hitter, took over for Stockton on the mound to work his third pitching appearance of the season in the 12th and pitched around back-to-back two-out walks to keep Bakersfield out of the run column in his lone inning.
The Blaze also went to a position player in the bottom of the 12th as Justin Seager (0-1) entered the game to pitch. Seager, in his first career pitching appearance, gave up a leadoff single to Mercedes. Two batters later with one out, Iriart walked. Iolana Akau followed and popped out to first, leaving runners at first and second with two outs. Nogowski stepped to the plate and delivered the game-winning single down the right field line that brought in Mercedes and gave Stockton a thrilling 11-10 victory.
Nogowski was the winning pitcher for Stockton while Seager suffered the loss for Bakersfield in the final chapter of a rivalry dating back to 1941.
Stockton finishes the 2016 season with an overall record of 60-80 while the Blaze advance to the California League playoffs to open a best-of-three Mini Series with San Jose beginning on Wednesday at Municipal Stadium. This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.
California League Stories from September 6, 2016
- Chopper's Curse Still Hangs over Visalia 38 Years - Visalia Rawhide
- Rawhide North Division Championship Series Preview - Visalia Rawhide
- Ports Close Season with Thrilling 11-10 Win in 12 - Stockton Ports
- Fitting End to Regular Season for Bakersfield, Final Chapter Awaits - Bakersfield Blaze
- Sixers Cap 2016 with 8-4 Win at Lancaster - Inland Empire 66ers
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