CalL Stockton Ports

Ports Finish Slugfest with Walkoff Win over Modesto

Published on August 4, 2021 under California League (CalL)
Stockton Ports News Release


STOCKON, Ca. - Jose Rivas hit a two-run home run to left field with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, lifting the Ports to their fourth consecutive victory in a 16-15 win over the Modesto Nuts in a back-and-forth game on Tuesday night at Banner Island Ballpark.

It was the Ports' fourth comeback victory during their 5-2 start to this 12-game homestand.

The two teams battled to a 6-6 tie after the first two innings. Down 2-0 after the top of the first inning, the Ports came back to tie the game with two runs in the bottom half of the inning on an RBI single by T.J. Schofield-Sam and a run-scoring double play off the bat of Joshwan Wright.

After the Nuts (41-38) took a 6-2 lead in the top of the second on a grand slam by Noelvi Marte, the first of his three home runs on the night, the Ports battled back to tie the score again in the bottom half. Junior Perez walked to lead off the inning and went to third on a single by Sahid Valenzuela. Perez then scored on a passed ball and after two groundouts moved Valenzuela to third, Lawrence Butler crushed a home run to center field to make it 6-5. A walk and back-to-back singles, the run-scoring base hit by Wright, tied the game at six.

Trailing 7-6 after a solo home run by Robert Perez, Jr. in the top of the third inning, the Ports (33-46) again stormed back in the bottom of the third to take their first lead of the game. Junior Perez scored on a passed ball to tie the game at seven, and with runners on second and third and two outs, Brayan Buelvas stroked a two-run single to left to extend his hitting streak to 11 games and put the Ports on top 9-7.

The lead changed hands again when the Nuts scored three times in the top of the fourth inning on back-to-back home runs by Marte and Spencer Packard, making it 10-9. The Ports came right back to re-take the advantage at 11-10 in the bottom of the fifth on RBI singles by Buelvas and Rivas, only to see Modesto score two runs in the top of the sixth on Marte's third home run of the night, a two-run shot, giving the Nuts a 12-11 lead.

After Modesto added a three-run homer by James Parker in the top of the eighth to increase their lead to 15-11, the Ports' completed their comeback with two in the eighth and three in the ninth. Jose Rivas reached for Stockton to start the eighth on a strikeout and error on Nuts catcher Ty Duvall. Perez then lifted a double down the right field line that was misplayed by Modesto right fielder Brett Rodriguez, allowing Rivas to score. Valenzuela then drove in Perez with a single up the middle to cut the Modesto lead to two.

Brayan Buelvas got the ninth started for the Ports with a one-out triple to center field. After T.J. Schofield-Sam reached on an infield single, Wright hit a sacrifice fly to left field to score Buelvas, bringing the Ports to within one. Rivas then hit a 2-2 pitch from Nuts reliever Juan Mercedes over the left field wall to end the game, igniting a Ports' celebration at home plate.

Ports' reliever Sam Romero (1-0) got the win for Stockton, firing 1 1/3 scoreless innings. Mercedes (4-3) took the loss for Modesto, allowing five runs in 1 2/3 innings.

The Ports and Nuts continue their series at Banner Island Ballpark on Wednesday, with first pitch at 7:05 pm. Tickets are available at stocktonports.com.

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