Visalia Blows Lead Late; Fall 6-5 to Stockton
May 11, 2016 - California League (CalL1)
Visalia Rawhide News Release
VISALIA, CA - The Stockton Ports (15-17), on a two-run single by C Argenis Raga in the top of the ninth, snatched a victory 6-5 over the Visalia Rawhide (22-10) at Recreation Ballpark on Wednesday afternoon.
LHP Jared Miller (0-1, 3.60) ran into some trouble after pitching a scoreless eighth inning. He walked 1B John Nogowski and then SS Mikey White singled. Pinch hitter Joe Bennie was then walked, setting the stage for the Raga heroics. He slapped a ground ball up the middle past the pulled in shortstop for a two-run single giving the Ports the eventual 6-5 win.
3B Marty Herum, making his first California League start, had some heroics of his own for the Rawhide in the seventh inning. With the Rawhide trailing 4-2, RHP Joey Wagman issued allowed a CF Colin Bray infield single and then walked C Oscar Hernandez, who was pinch-ran for. RF Victor Reyes laid down a sacrifice bunt and after an intentional walk to SS Domingo Leyba loaded the bases, up stepped Herum. Having already picked up his first hit in the California League earlier in the ballgame, Herum slapped a two-run double into the left-centerfield gap that tied the ballgame at 4-4 before LF Grant Heyman gave the Rawhide the 5-4 lead with a sacrifice fly that scored Leyba from third.
Stockton jumped out to a 4-0 lead after the first two innings, scoring two runs apiece in both the first and second frames. CF James Harris singled to begin the game and was balked to second by starter RHP Wei-Chieh Huang. 2B Melvin Mercedes dropped down a sacrifice bunt and on the play Hernandez fired one wide of first and Harris scored and Mercedes motored to second base. Three batters later, DH Seth Brown took an RBI walk to make it 2-0. After Stockton loaded the bases again with no out in the second, it was LF B.J Boyd who brought home two with a single for the 4-0 advantage.
Huang pitched five innings, a season high, and allowed nine hits and four runs (three earned) on three walks with five strikeouts and for the fourth time did not factor into the decision.
In RHP Brett Graves final inning, the fifth, Visalia finally got to the righty after he issued back-to-back walks to Bray and Hernandez. Reyes grounded out moving everyone up and Leyba hit a hard ground ball passed the 3B Jose Brizuela that was ruled an error but both Bray and Hernandez scored to make it a 4-2 ballgame.
LHP Austin Wright pitched two scoreless frames for Visalia, allowing a hit, a walk and striking out five and at one point hit 98 mph on the radar gun.
RHP Cody Stull (1-0, 1.23) earned the win for his scoreless eighth inning after Stockton completed the comeback in the ninth and RHP Carlos Navas (SV 1) closed out the 6-5 series clinching victory for Stockton.
The finale of the three-game set is tomorrow night from Rawhide Ballpark with RHP Brad Keller (2-1, 3.65) pitching for Visalia against RHP Heath Fillmyer (3-1, 3.86) for the Stockton. The "Hide will open the gates at 6:00 p.m. for the 7:00 p.m. first pitch on "Ladies Night Out" and "Thirsty Thursday."
California League Stories from May 11, 2016
- Visalia Blows Lead Late; Fall 6-5 to Stockton - Visalia Rawhide
- Ninth-Inning Rally Nets Ports 6-5 Victory - Stockton Ports
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- Laureano Reaches Four Times In 12-1 Loss - Lancaster JetHawks
- Blaze Offense Stuck in Park - Bakersfield Blaze
- Stockton Open Series with 11-3 Win - Visalia Rawhide
- Storm Snap Sixers' Streak - Inland Empire 66ers
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