Stockton Takes Rubber Match at Visalia 5-4
Published on April 21, 2016 under California League (CalL1)
Stockton Ports News Release
VISALIA, Calif. - The Stockton Ports won their three-game series with the Visalia Rawhide on Wednesday night and clinched a winning record on their seven-game road trip. Stockton scored three runs in the fifth inning and got solid pitching from Henderson Alvarez on Major League rehab and Heath Fillmyer (2-0) to hand Visalia a 5-4 defeat at Recreation Ballpark.
Alvarez, who made his first appearance in a game since undergoing shoulder surgery in July of 2015, gave up back-to-back one-out singles in the first that put runners at the corners. The runner at first, Domingo Leyba, took off on a steal attempt of second. Ports catcher Andy Paz threw down to second and threw out Leyba, but in the process Colin Bray came down the third base line and scored the first run of the game to give the Rawhide a 1-0 lead.
The first inning run was the only tally allowed by Alvarez in an otherwise solid debut. Alvarez threw 15 pitches, 13 for strikes over the first two innings. He finished his outing having allowed three hits while striking out one and not issuing a walk. He threw a total of 30 pitches in the outing, 21 for strikes.
Visalia added to its lead in the fourth as Fillmyer took over for Stockton and was victimized by a defensive miscue. With a runner at first, Leyba hit a double play ball to second. Joe Bennie fielded and threw to Mikey White covering the second base bag and white dropped the ball. Fillmyer would go on to get Rudy Flores to hit into a double-play, but a two-out RBI single by Henry Castillo plated an unearned run to make it a 2-0 Rawhide lead.
Rawhide starter Brad Keller (0-1) looked sharp through the first four innings but suffered through his worst inning of the night in the fifth. John Nogowski led off with a single to left and White followed with an RBI double to left that put Stockton on the board. With one out, Paz drew a walk and Melvin Mercedes followed with an RBI single to left-center to score White. The relay throw to the infield by the center fielder Bray was errant, allowing Paz to score as well and Mercedes to reach third base, giving the Ports a 3-2 lead.
Visaila tied the score in the bottom of the fifth as Dawel Lugo singled to start the inning and scored on a two-out double to right by Cody Regis to knot the score at 3-3.
Stockton took the lead back in the sixth as Tyler Marincov snapped an 0-for-14 skid with a single to center and scored two batters later on an RBI double by White, his second in as many innings, to put Stockton up 4-3. It was the final run allowed by Keller, who suffered the loss after going seven innings and allowing four runs (three earned) on eight hits while not recording a strikeout.
The Ports added a key insurance run in the eighth facing reliever Austin Wright. With two outs and the bases empty, Nogowski drew a walk, White reached on an infield single and Sandber Pimentel delivered an RBI double to the left field corner that plated Nogowski and made it a 5-3 Ports advantage. It was the only run allowed by Wright in his two innings of work and the first run he allowed on the season.
Fillmyer, after keeping Visalia out of the run column innings six through eight, came on for the ninth and gave up a one-out single to Lugo, who scored two batters later on an RBI single by Victor Reyes that cut the Ports lead to a run at 5-4. Fillmyer, though, would get Regis to ground back to the mound to end the ballgame and preserve the victory.
Both B.J. Boyd and James Harris had a hit for Stockton and extended their hit streaks to 17 and 13 games, respectively, with Boyd's dating back to August 30, 2015.
After taking two of three in Visalia, the Ports return home to take on the Inland Empire 66ers in a four-game set at Banner Island Ballpark. In the series opener, Casey Meisner (0-0, 4.50 ERA) makes the start for Stockton, opposed by Inland Empire right-hander Tyler Carpenter (1-0, 0.00 ERA). First pitch is set for 7:10 p.m. PDT.
California League Stories from April 21, 2016
- Road Trip Ends Quietly for Blaze - Bakersfield Blaze
- Giants Host Modesto to Begin Homestand - San Jose Giants
- Stockton Takes Rubber Match at Visalia 5-4 - Stockton Ports
- Storm Swat Seven Homers in 17-3 Rout of Giants - San Jose Giants
- Ninth Inning Rally Falls Short in 5-4 Defeat - Visalia Rawhide
- LE Storm Set Franchise Record with 7 Home Runs - Lake Elsinore Storm
- 66ers Drop Seventh Straight to High Desert in 6-4 Loss - Inland Empire 66ers
- Grill Helps 'Hawks End Series on High Note - Lancaster JetHawks
- Quakes Complete 5-2 Road Trip with Loss in Lancaster - Rancho Cucamonga Quakes
- Stout Arms, Big Bat Send Nuts to 1-0 Win - Modesto Nuts
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