Two-Run Homers Help Ports to 9-3 Win
August 30, 2018 - California League (CalL1)
Stockton Ports News Release
SAN JOSE, Calif. - The weapon of choice for the Stockton Ports on Wednesday night was the two-run homer. The Ports hit three two-run blasts in a convincing 9-3 win over the San Jose Giants at Municipal Stadium, setting the Ports up with a chance to sweep the three-game set in a Thursday matinee.
Stockton led wire-to-wire, plating two runs out of the gate in the top of the first inning on back-to-back RBI doubles by Luke Persico and Viosergy Rosa to take a 2-0 lead.
Grant Holmes, who had missed all of this season with a shoulder injury, made his season debut in a three-inning start for Stockton and made just one mistake. Holmes allowed a home run to Jacob Heyward on his second pitch of the night that cut the Stockton lead to 2-1. Holmes, though, would go on to retire nine of his next 10 batters and complete three innings in 43 pitches without allowing another hit. Holmes did not issue a walk and struck out four in his first outing of the season.
The Ports added to their lead in the fourth inning with their first of three homers on the night. With one on and two out, Edwin Diaz hit a two-run shot to center to make it a 4-1 contest. In the fifth, Persico added a two-out, two-run blast to make it 6-1. Those were the final runs allowed by Giants starter Carlos Sano (4-5), who suffered the loss after going five innings and allowing six runs on seven hits while striking out eight.
Sandro Cabrera took over in the sixth for San Jose and, after a leadoff walk and back-to-back two-out singles loaded the bases, gave up an infield single to Trace Loehr that ran the Ports lead to 7-1. Cabrera was lifted at that point for John Russell, who, in his California League debut, went on to work two scoreless innings.
Matt Milburn (9-5) took over for Holmes in the fourth and didn't allow his first run until the sixth when he surrendered a leadoff home run to Heyward, his second of the night, to make it 7-2. San Jose's final run came off of Milburn in the seventh as Wander Franco led off with a single and scored three batters later on a two-out RBI single by Kelvin Beltre to make it a 7-3 contest.
Milburn would go on to close out the ballgame and earn the win, tossing six innings and allowing two runs on six hits while striking out two.
The Ports added to their lead one final time in the top of the ninth. Sandber Pimentel hit a two-run homer off Giants reliever Dylan Rheault to make it a 9-3 lead. Rheault worked the final 1 1/3 innings for San Jose.
The Ports and Giants wrap up their season series on Thursday afternoon at Municipal Stadium. Wyatt Marks (1-0, 3.18 ERA) makes the start for Stockton, opposed by San Jose southpaw Mac Marshall (0-5, 4.85 ERA). First pitch is set for 12:30 p.m. PDT.
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