CalL1 Stockton Ports

Ports Strike Early, Beat Nuts 9-1

Published on June 16, 2016 under California League (CalL1)
Stockton Ports News Release


STOCKTON, Calif. - The Stockton Ports earned their 10th home victory on Wednesday night and in doing so, won their first four-game series of the season. Stockton took advantage of a Modesto Nuts error in the first inning and scored for runs on their way to a runaway 9-1 victory at Banner Island Ballpark.

Modesto opened the scoring with its first and only run of the contest in the first. Wes Rogers singled to open the ballgame and went on to score on a two-out RBI single by Dom Nunez that gave the Nuts a 1-0 lead.

Nuts starter Alex Balog (1-1) looked as if he'd breeze through the first inning as he recorded two quick outs. James Harris, though, would extend the inning with a single to center. Joe Benne followed with a double and Sandber Pimentel walked to load the bases. Seth Brown stepped to the plate and hit a line drive to the first baseman Colin Ferguson who dropped the ball, an error that allowed a run to score and kept the bases loaded. Argenis Raga came up next and delivered a three-run triple to center, his first of the season, to give the Ports a 4-1 lead.

Stockton added to its lead in the third as Pimentel hit his 10th home run of the season, a solo blast with two outs to make it a 5-1 contest. It was the final run allowed by Balog, who suffered the loss after allowing five runs (one earned) on six hits over four-and-two-thirds innings.

Ports starter Zack Erwin would pitch through the fifth inning and earn the victory, allowing just the one run on five hits while striking out four.

Victor Veliz, Lou Trivino and Carlos Navas combined for four scoreless innings of relief down the stretch while only allowing one hit.

The Ports added four insurance runs in the eighth off Nuts reliever Craig Schlitter. Raga doubled to open the inning and, after back-to-back walks loaded the bases, Richie Martin hit into a fielder's choice force play to bring in the sixth run of the game for Stockton. B.J. Boyd followed with an RBI double to left and, two batters later, Bennie added a two-run single to right to run the Ports lead to 9-1. Schlitter allowed four runs on three hits in two-thirds of an inning of work.

Pimentel, who went 4-for-4, notched his second four-hit performance in a week for Stockton.

After taking three of four from Modesto, the Ports travel south on Thursday to begin a four-game set with the High Desert Mavericks that will conclude the first half of the season. Kyle Friedrichs (1-1, 8.56 ERA) makes the start in the series opener for Stockton, opposed by High Desert right-hander Adam Quintana (2-3, 3.89 ERA). First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. PDT.

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California League Stories from June 16, 2016


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