Ports Score Six in First Inning, Blowout Giants
August 18, 2015 - California League (CalL1)
San Jose Giants News Release
STOCKTON, CA - The Stockton Ports scored six runs in the bottom of the first inning on their way to a 13-2 blowout of the San Jose Giants on Monday evening at Banner Island Ballpark. In the opener of a three-game series, Stockton smacked there home runs and handed the Giants their largest margin of defeat this season. The loss drops San Jose (29-21) two games behind Visalia in the second half North Division race.
Christian Arroyo (3-for-4, RBI) returned after missing the last two games and collected three singles to lead the Giants offensively. Daniel Carbonell (2-for-4) added a pair of hits.
The Ports jumped on Luis Ysla knocking the San Jose starter out of the game in the bottom of the first inning. Brett Vertigan led off by beating out a slow chopper to second base for an infield single. Melvin Mercedes then singled before Yairo Munoz grounded a double down the left field line plating Vertigan with the first run of the night. Jacob Nottingham followed with a sacrifice fly to center scoring Mercedes and then Tyler Marincov stepped to the plate and launched a two-run homer to deep left center for a 4-0 advantage.
The first-inning rally continued after the home run as B.J. Boyd walked before consecutive singles from Michael Soto and Trent Gilbert loaded the bases. Ysla came back with a strikeout of Santiago Chavez, but was then pulled from the game after reaching his inning pitch limit. Christian Jones entered from the bullpen, but promptly allowed a single to Vertigan that scored two more runs giving Stockton a 6-0 lead. 11 batters came to the plate in the bottom of the first with the Ports scoring six runs on seven hits.
Stockton added to their lead against Jones (3 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 3 SO) with a single run in the second and two runs in the bottom of the fourth. In the second, Munoz reached on a Brandon Bednar throwing error to leadoff before Nottingham singled putting runners on the corners. Marincov then lifted a sacrifice fly to center to make it 7-0.
In the bottom of the fourth, Munoz singled, Nottingham doubled and then with two outs, Boyd grounded a two-RBI single up the middle for a 9-0 cushion.
San Jose was held to just two singles over the first five innings before breaking through in the top of the sixth. Ty Ross led off with a double into the right field corner and scored two batters later on Arroyo's single up the middle.
Tyler Rogers (3 1/3 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 SO) excelled in long relief for the Giants surrendering just a Soto solo homer in the bottom of the seventh during his outing. Rogers entered the contest with two outs in the bottom of the fourth and worked through the end of the seventh.
San Jose cut the lead to 10-2 in the top of the eighth as Skyler Stromsmoe walked with one out, moved to second on a wild pitch and eventually scored on an error.
Stockton completed the scoring for the night in the bottom of the eighth with Dan Slania (2/3 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 2 SO) on the mound for the Giants. With one out, Munoz walked before Nottingham singled. Then with two down, Boyd crushed a three-run home run to right to make it 13-2 Ports.
Kyle Finnegan (7-8) was credited with the win out of the Stockton bullpen after tossing 3 1/3 innings with two runs (one earned) and four hits allowed. Finnegan, who entered the game at the start of the fifth inning, walked one and struck out three. Raul Alcantara started on the mound for the Ports and worked four scoreless innings with two hits allowed and two strikeouts.
Ysla (2-6) was charged with six runs (all earned) on six hits over 2/3 of an inning to take the loss.
Notes:
* The Giants allowed 10+ runs in a game for the first time in the second half (last time: June 11 vs. High Desert, 12-10 win).
* Prior to Monday, San Jose's largest margin of defeat was a 10-0 loss to Bakersfield on June 8.
* Arroyo raised his season batting average to .322 - third in the California League.
* Ysla is 0-2 with a 27.00 ERA (19 ER/6.1 IP) in three starts against Stockton.
* Slania was ejected in the bottom of the eighth after hitting Soto with a pitch following Boyd's home run. The hit by pitch resulted in both benches emptying. Ports infielder John Nogowski was also ejected.
* The Giants (59-61) fell two games behind Stockton (61-59) in the Wild Card race. 20 games remain in the regular season.
On Deck: The Giants and Ports continue their three-game series on Tuesday evening with first pitch at Banner Island Ballpark scheduled for 7:10 PM. Jordan Johnson (1-1, 4.63 ERA) is slated to start on the mound for San Jose while Stockton is expected to counter with Dylan Covey (6-7, 3.93 ERA). The game can be heard live on sjgiants.com with coverage beginning at 6:40 PM.
California League Stories from August 18, 2015
- JetHawks Drop 66ers 8-0 - Inland Empire 66ers
- Ports Open Series with 13-2 Rout of Giants - Stockton Ports
- Ports Score Six in First Inning, Blowout Giants - San Jose Giants
- Nuts Crack Four Homers in 13-12 Loss - Modesto Nuts
- Quakes Get Impressive Win over Mavs for Fifth Straight - Rancho Cucamonga Quakes
- Blaze Drop Smoky Opener with Storm, 3-1 - Bakersfield Blaze
- Martes Dominates for Third Straight Win - Lancaster JetHawks
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