CalL1 Stockton Ports

Ports Lack Clutch Hitting in 4-1 Loss to Blaze

Published on May 14, 2016 under California League (CalL1)
Stockton Ports News Release


BAKERSFIELD, Calif. - After a series in Visalia in which the Stockton Ports squandered many chances for a big inning, their first game of the season with the Bakersfield Blaze was lost in similar fashion. Stockton stranded 11 base runners and went 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position as the Blaze won the first of a four-game series by a final of 4-1.

Bakersfield scored three runs over the first three innings off Ports starter Casey Meisner (0-5) as Meisner's quest for his first win of the season continues. Chantz Mack led off the second with a home run to give Bakersfield its first run. In the third, Meisner walked Aaron Barbosa who went on to steal second. Kyle Petty came up with two outs and delivered an RBI single to left. Mack followed with a pop fly to right that got caught up in the wind and fell out of the range of right fielder Seth Brown, a double that scored Petty and gave the Blaze a 3-0 edge.

Meisner suffered his fifth straight loss, going four innings and allowing three runs on six hits while striking out one.

Blaze starter Eddie Campbell (3-2) did not allow a hit through the first five innings but gave up plenty of walks. Campbell pitched around a one-out walk in the first, back-to-back walks to start the fourth, and a pair of walks in the fifth. Stockton's first hit of the contest came on a leadoff single to center by Joe Bennie in the sixth but it was erased on an inning-ending double-play.

Campbell picked up the win, going six scoreless innings while allowing one hit, walking five and striking out five.

The Blaze added to their lead in the seventh facing Ports reliever Matt Stalcup. Stalcup gave up a leadoff single to Drew Jackson and then proceeded to make an errant pick-off throw to first that allowed Jackson to get all the way to third. Barbosa followed with a sac-fly to right field that made it 4-0.

Stockton's lone run came in the eighth. Jose Brizuela led off with a double to right and, after Bennie drew a one-out walk, B.J. Boyd doubled off the center field fence to score Brizuela and make it a 4-1 ballgame. The double knocked Blaze reliever Vinny Nittoli from the game and Isaac Sanchez (SV, 2) took over. Sanchez hit Tyler Marincov to load the bases with one out, but struck out Brown and got Mikey White to ground out to end the inning and escape further trouble.

Sanchez stayed in the game to pitch the ninth and retired the first two batters, Brizuela drew a two-out walk, James Harris singled and Bennie walked to load the bases and put the tying runners aboard. Boyd, however, would ground out to third to end the ballgame. Sanchez earned his second save of the season.

The Ports and Blaze play the second game of their four-game set on Saturday night at Sam Lynn Ballpark. Zack Erwin (1-2, 3.72 ERA) makes the start for Stockton, opposed by Bakersfield right-hander Andrew Moore (1-1, 1.48 ERA). First pitch is set for 7:20 p.m. PDT.

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California League Stories from May 14, 2016


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