Ports Doubled Up, Fall 8-4 at San Jose
Published on July 6, 2014 under California League (CalL1)
Stockton Ports News Release
SAN JOSE, Calif. - After taking the first two games of their series in San Jose, the Stockton Ports suffered their first setback in the South Bay on Sunday at Municipal Stadium. Despite a career-high 10 strikeouts for Ports starter Chris Lamb (3-1), Stockton pitching allowed eight runs on 14 hits and the Ports offense hit into four double plays as they fell to the Giants by a final of 8-4.
Lamb found an early groove as he retired the first five batters he faced, four of them coming on strikeouts. With two outs in the second, though, Brian Ragira hit a 2-2 pitch over the center field fence for a solo home run that gave the Giants a 1-0 lead. Lamb went on to retire the next nine batters in a row before allowing three straight two-out singles in the fifth to Elliott Blair, Trevor Brown and Ydwin Villegas, with Villegas' single driving in Blair to make it a 2-0 Giants advantage.
Lamb worked into the sixth inning and, after getting a strikeout of Chuckie Jones to open the frame, gave up a single to Brandon Bednar. Blake Miller came up next and reached on a fielding error committed by third baseman Renato Nunez that put runners at second and third and knocked Lamb from the contest. Andres Avila entered the game and gave up a two-run single to Mitch Delfino, a single to Ragira and an RBI double to Blair that made it a 5-0 San Jose lead. After Brown was intentionally walked to load the bases, Villegas hit a sac-fly to center field that scored Ragira and stretched the San Jose lead to 6-0.
Lamb suffered the loss, going 5.1 innings and allowing four runs (three earned) on five hits while striking out a career-high 10.
Meanwhile, Giants starter Joe Kurrasch (7-2) was dominant early as he induced three double plays to end each of the first three innings. Kurrasch kept Stockton out of the run column through the first seven innings and at one point retired seven batters in a row taking him into the eighth.
Avila yielded another run to the Giants in the seventh inning as he gave up a leadoff double to Jones, a single to Bednar and an RBI double to Miller that made it a 7-0 San Jose advantage.
Stockton's lone inning of offense came in the eighth. Wade Kirkland opened the inning with a single and Bobby Crocker was hit by a pitch. After Aaron Shipman hit into a fielder's choice force out, Boog Powell drove an RBI single to right that put Stockton on the board. After Daniel Robertson singled to load the bases, Matt Olson drew a bases-loaded walk to bring in another run to make it 7-2 and chase Kurrasch from the ballgame. Mason McVay (SV, 1) came on in relief and induced a sac-fly to left field off the bat of Renato Nunez that made it 7-3. Ryon Healy followed with an RBI single to center to cut the Ports deficit to 7-4. Bruce Maxwell came up next and grounded out to second to end the inning.
Kurrasch went on to pick up the win, going 7.1 innings and allowing four runs on seven hits while walking four and striking out two.
San Jose got one of the runs back in the bottom of the eighth. With two outs, Villegas singled to center, Shawn Payne singled to left and Jones hit his second straight double to left field to drive in Villegas and make it an 8-4 ballgame.
Avila went 2.2 innings in relief and allowed four runs on nine hits while striking out three.
McVay came back out to work the ninth for the Giants and after walking Crocker with one out, got Shipman to hit into a game-ending 6-4-3 double-play, the fourth twin-killing hit into by the Ports on the night. McVay earned his first save of the season as he tossed a scoreless inning-and-two-thirds in relief and allowed one hit.
The Ports and Giants wrap up their four-game set on Monday night at Municipal Stadium. Yeiper Castillo (0-1, 15.26 ERA) makes the start for the Ports, opposed by Giants left-hander and Stockton native Matt Lujan (2-0, 4.63 ERA). First pitch is set for 7 p.m. PDT.
California League Stories from July 6, 2014
- Kurrasch, Balanced Offense Lead Giants to 8-4 Win - San Jose Giants
- 'Hawks Drop out of First with Loss to Quakes - Lancaster JetHawks
- Ports Doubled Up, Fall 8-4 at San Jose - Stockton Ports
- Ports Hang on for Third Straight Win, Beat Giants 4-3 - Stockton Ports
- Winning Streak Stopped at Nine in Lancaster - Rancho Cucamonga Quakes
- Nuts Blue as Blaze Walk Off - Bakersfield Blaze
- Blaze Break Nuts' Heart in 3-2 Loss - Modesto Nuts
- Ninth-Inning Comeback Falls Short in 4-3 Loss - San Jose Giants
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