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CalL1 Stockton Ports

Raga's Walk-Off Blast Gives Ports 4-3 Win

September 1, 2016 - California League (CalL1)
Stockton Ports News Release


STOCKTON, Calif. - The Stockton Ports appeared left for dead on Wednesday night at Banner Island Ballpark. Down a run and down to their final two outs against a pitcher who'd owned them all season, Argenis Raga provided a two-run homer to left field to give the Ports a 4-3 walk-off win to even their series with the Visalia Rawhide at a game apiece.

For a second straight night, Visalia scored in the top of the first. Victor Reyes reached on a fielding error by Sandber Pimentel and scored on an ensuing double by Marty Herum to give the Rawhide a 1-0 lead. After Austin Byler singled, Trevor Mitsui singled to center to score Herum and make it a 2-0 ballgame.

Ports starter Kyle Friedrichs, beginning with the second out of the first inning, would go on to retire 10 consecutive batters to settle into a groove. Friedrichs would not factor into the decision, going five innings and allowing two runs (one earned) on four hits while striking out five.

Stockton got a run back in the bottom of the first as the Ports took advantage of the lone Rawhide error of the night. Richie Martin led off with a deep fly ball to left that was dropped on the warning track by the left fielder Reyes, allowing Martin to reach third. Two batters later, John Nogowski doubled down the left field line to score Martin and cut the Rawhide lead to 2-1.

Rawhide starter Emilio Vargas kept Stockton out of the run column over the next three innings. In the fifth, however, the Ports tied the game as Seth Brown walked with one out and scored on a two-out RBI single by Arismendy Alcantara. It was the final run allowed by Vargas who also was rendered a no-decision, going five innings and allowing two runs (one earned) on four hits while striking out seven.

Mitchell Jordan (1-0) took over for Stockton and made his California League debut to begin the sixth. After setting the side down in order in his first inning, Jordan gave up a leadoff home run to Henry Castillo in the seventh to give Visalia a 3-2 lead. It would be the only run allowed by Mitchell as he went on to pick up the win in his debut, going four innings and allowing two hits while walking two and striking out three.

For Visalia, Kirby Bellow pitched a scoreless sixth, Cameron Gann a scoreless seventh and Nick Baker a perfect eighth, setting up Gabriel Moya (0-1) for the ninth. Moya, who had not allowed a run and given up only four singles in 12 appearances versus Stockton, got Pimentel to ground out to open the frame. Moya then walked Mikey White to set up Raga, who blasted a two-run homer to left to give the Ports a 4-3 walk-off victory. Moya suffered his first loss of the season.

The Ports and Rawhide play the rubber match of their three-game series on Thursday night at Banner Island Ballpark. Left-hander Evan Manarino (1-1, 1.27 ERA) makes the start for Stockton, opposed by right-hander Rubby De La Rosa (0-0, 0.00 ERA), who starts for Visalia on a Major League rehab assignment. First pitch is set for 7:10 p.m. PDT. This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.

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