Six-Run Fifth Sinks Ports 6-4
Published on May 9, 2013 under California League (CalL1)
Stockton Ports News Release
MODESTO, Calif. - Stockton Ports pitching had one big hiccup on Wednesday afternoon, and it cost them the ballgame at John Thurman Field. The Modesto Nuts scored six runs in the fifth inning, five of them with two outs, as the big strike propelled the Nuts to a 6-4 win over the Ports.
Stockton opened the scoring with a run in the top of the second. With a runner at second and two outs, Bobby Crocker hit an RBI single to left that scored Ryan Delgado to make it a 1-0 game. After Crocker's single, Nuts starter Ben Alsup (3-2) retired the final 16 batters he faced to get through the seventh inning and Nuts pitching combined to retire the next 17 batters in a row.
Alsup earned the win, allowing just the one run on three hits while striking out four over seven innings pitched.
Ports starter Deyvi Jimenez (0-1) kept Modesto out of the run column through the first four innings. After recording the first out of the fifth, Jimenez walked Juan Crousset and then gave up a single to Brian Humphries that put runners at the corners with one out. Tyler Massey followed with a sac-fly to left that tied the game at 1-1. Sam Mende came up next and hit what looked like it would be a ground ball to the backhand side of shortstop Addison Russell. The ball, though, hit a divot on the infield and bounced over Russell's head, a base hit that kept the inning alive. After Taylor Featherston drew a walk, Ryan Casteel hit a sharp grounder to third that was stopped on a dive by B.A. Vollmuth. Vollmuth came to his first and threw low to first and the ball skipped away from Max Muncy, a hit and an error that allowed two runs to score and gave the Nuts a 3-1 lead. With two on, Harold Riggins came up next and delivered a three-run homer down the left field line that gave the Nuts a 6-1 cushion and knocked Jimenez from the game.
Jimenez suffered the loss, allowing six runs on five hits over 4.2 innings of work. Blake Hassebrock followed Jimenez into the game and, after giving up a pair of singles, struck out Crousset to end the fifth inning. The strikeout of Crousset started a string of 10 straight batters retired by Ports pitching to finish the contest. Hassebrock retired the final seven batters he faced while Pedro Vidal worked a perfect eighth.
Nelson Gonzalez came into the game to start the eighth for Modesto. After striking out Vollmuth, the 17th batter in a row set down by the Nuts, Gonzalez hit Crocker to put a man at first. Russell followed and flew out to center for the second out. With two away, Antonio Lamas singled up the middle and Muncy followed with an RBI double to the right field corner to make it 6-2 and put two in scoring position. Josh Whitaker came up next and hit a two-run single to left that brought the Ports to within two runs at 6-4 and brought the possible tying run to the plate in the person of Dusty Robinson. Modesto went to its bullpen and brought in Ken Roberts (SV, 2) to face Robinson, and Roberts induced an inning-ending comebacker to the mound to extinguish the threat.
Roberts set the side down in order in the ninth to record his second save in as many opportunities.
Of the 16 combined runs that have scored over the first two games of the series, 14 of the 16 runs have come with two outs.
The Ports and Nuts will pay the rubber match of their three-game set on Thursday night at John Thurman Field. Tanner Peters (2-2, 7.12 ERA) will make the start for Stockton, opposed by Modesto right-hander Dan Winkler (3-1, 2.57 ERA). First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. PDT.
California League Stories from May 9, 2013
- Quakes Fall To Sixers On Wednesday Afternoon - Rancho Cucamonga Quakes
- Giants Cruise to 6-1 Win over Bakersfield - San Jose Giants
- Newcomers Lead 'Hide in 9-4 Win - Visalia Rawhide
- JetHawks Drop Twin-Bill, out of First - Lancaster JetHawks
- Blaze Hang Tough for Five, Fall Late to Giants 6-1 - Bakersfield Blaze
- Six-Run Fifth Sinks Ports 6-4 - Stockton Ports
- Ports Strike Late to Beat Modesto, 4-2 - Modesto Nuts
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