Ports Fight Back for 11-6 Win in Game Two
Published on July 2, 2026 under California League (CalL)
Stockton Ports News Release
LAKE ELSINORE, Calif. - The Ports fell down early but got up off the mat and fought back for an 11-6 win over the Storm on Wednesday night to tie the series at a game apiece.
Jackson Phipps was wild to start the contest, walking the first five batters he faced to fall behind 2-0 on his way to setting a career in walks issued in a game with seven on the night. An RBI ground out and a double steal plated two more to put the Ports down 4-0 after one inning without allowing a hit.
Stockton got a pair back to cut it to 4-2 in the third inning on a Daniel Bucciero RBI single and a sac fly from Bobby Blandford. But the first pitch of the bottom of the third was hit out to right center by Dawson Willis for a solo home run to make it 5-2 Lake Elsinore.
The fourth inning would be the pivotal frame in the contest as the Ports delivered their biggest punch of the night to stun the Storm. Stockton had given up five runs on just one hit at that point, and they would score five runs on just one hit in the fourth to take the lead. Lake Elsinore reliever Brandon Langley would walk four straight to start the inning to make it a 5-3 game.
A double play ball off the bat of newest Port, Ben Newton, plated another run to cut it to 5-4, but there were now two down with a runner at third in catcher Carlos Franco. Bucciero walked to put runners at the corners and the Storm would pull the plug on Langley at that point. New reliever Rordy Mejia came into the game and his second pitched was belted over the tall wall in right by Blandford 379 feet for a three-run homer (9) to put the Ports in front 7-5.
The trick would be avoiding an answer inning for Stockton, something that has plagued them this season, and it looked like it might hit them again when the bottom of the fourth began with a triple for Dylan Grego. But Alejandro Manzano got three-straight groundouts to keep it to just the one run coming in and preserve a lead for Stockton at 7-6.
Manzano worked 2.1 innings allowing just the one run, and Jackson Holmes and Bjay Cooke fired two shutout innings each to keep the Storm offense at bay the rest of the way. The Ports would tack on two more runs in the sixth on an RBI double from Blandford and an RBI single from Breyson Guedez for a 9-6 advantage. They plated another run in the eighth on a double from Guedez and another in the ninth on a no-doubt homer (9) out to left by Bucciero for their 11-6 lead.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS: Bucciero extended his on-base streak to 26 games, which is the longest active streak in the league and the fifth longest in the Cal League this season. Blandford came up just a triple short of the cycle in his second three-hit game and second five-RBI game this season.
Guedez had his fifth three-hit game and reached base four times, and Edgar Montero walked four times on the night to give him 46 on the season, good for sixth place in the league.
UP NEXT: Game three is scheduled for a 6:05 PM first pitch, with RHP Lan -Hong Su (0-1, 4.02) starting for the Storm versus RHP Shotaro Morii (0-3, 16.76) expected to open for the Ports.
Single game tickets, mini plans, and group outings are all on sale for the 2026 season. For more information, call the Ports front office at 209-644-1400 or email at info@stocktonports.com.
California League Stories from July 2, 2026
- Quakes Come up One Swing Short in San Jose - Rancho Cucamonga Quakes
- Three Big Fly's Boost Grizzlies, Bullpen Locks Down Win over Ontario - Fresno Grizzlies
- Ports Fight Back for 11-6 Win in Game Two - Stockton Ports
- 12 Walks Headline Tough Pitching Outing, Storm Fall 11-6 to Ports - Lake Elsinore Storm
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