Ports lose 7-6 in League record 7 hour, 34 minute game
The game was the longest the Ports have played all season, in terms of both innings and duration. It was their fourth extra-innings game this season, and the fourth that they've lost. The game had to be called just after five hours and 14 innings of play Thursday night because of a California League rule that stipulates that no inning can be started after midnight. Play resumed at 6:05 p.m. on Friday, prior to their regularly scheduled game.
The previous League record for longest game (in terms of duration) was seven hours, for a 22-inning game between Bakersfield and Visalia, which was on June 19 and 20, 1971. Visalia won, 11-9, at home in that game. That game was also suspended by umpires due to a curfew rule.
In the game, Jemile Weeks homered in his Banner Island Ballpark debut, extending his hitting streak to eight games. Weeks has hit safely in each game he has played in with the Ports. Christian Vitters also had a tremendous game, batting 5x6 with a home run and four RBI. He has brought home six of the last eight Ports runs.
Both teams were tied at 5-5 until the 17th inning, when both teams added a run. The Mavericks pulled ahead in the 21st inning, as Joe Dunigan scored on an error by catcher Raul Padron. The Ports managed to get two baserunners on base in the bottom of the 21st inning, but the last two batters flied out to end the inning.
The Ports used nine pitchers in the game while High Desert had eight take the mound. Ports reliever Derrick Gordon picked up his third loss of the season, while Mavericks reliever Edward Paredes won his fourth game.
The Mavericks were the first to score. Center fielder Tyson Gillies tripled to lead off the game, and scored as second baseman Edilio Colina grounded out. Ports starter Scott Hodsdon allowed back to back doubles, and the second High Desert scored as third baseman Alex Liddi reached on an error.
The Ports cut the deficit to one in the bottom of the second, as an RBI single by Vitters scored right fielder Jermaine Mitchell.
The Ports tied the game in the bottom of the third when Weeks slammed his third home run of the season over the Jackson Rancheria Back Porch in right field.
In the top of the fourth, High Desert added another run to take a 3-2 lead. Starting catcher Travis Scott tripled, and scored on an error by Stockton first baseman Yusuf Carter. Scott was ejected in the eighth inning after arguing a called strike out with home plate umpire Tom Honec. Scott was replaced in the game by Fleming Baez.
Vitters responded in the bottom of the fourth with his third home run of the season, which landed near the palm trees behind the Jackson Rancheria Back Porch.
The Ports took a 5-3 lead in the sixth frame. Padron led off the inning with a single, and Jermaine Mitchell followed him on base by hitting a sacrifice bunt and reaching first safely on an error. Both runners scored on a single by Vitters.
The Ports relievers held the Mavericks to just one hit from the sixth to eighth innings, but allowed High Desert to knot the game, 5-5, in the top of the ninth. Shortstop Juan Diaz singled to lead off the inning, and Gillies was walked to put two runners on with no out. Colina then hit a sacrifice bunt to move the runners over. The Ports then called on Steven Sharpe to pitch. Diaz scored on a wild pitch while first baseman Ian Bladergroen was at bat. Bladergroen walked to put runners on the corners with one out. Then Joe Dunigan, one of the top hitters in the California League, reached on a fielder's choice that allowed Colina to score. Sharpe got Liddi to strike out swinging to end the inning, but the damage was done.
From there, the Ports and the Mavericks relievers locked horns late into the night. The Mavericks allowed just one hit in the 10th inning, and kept the Ports hitless from the 11th to the 14th frames. The Ports came close to winning the game in the 10th and 11th innings.
In the 10th, they had runners on first and second with two out, and center fielder David Thomas popped out to end the inning. The Ports had runners at second and third with one out in the 11th inning, but Carter grounded out and Padron struck out swinging to end the Stockton threat.
The Ports allowed just two batters to reach base combined from the 11th to 14th innings. Southpaw Lance Sewell struck out four straight batters to help shutdown the Mavericks in the latter innings.
After Padron flew out to end the 14th inning, the managers and umpires resolved to suspend the game due to the League time limit.
Play resumed in the top of the 15th inning on Friday, but the two teams were scoreless until the 17th. Dunigan led off the inning by walking, and was followed on base by Liddi, who was hit by a pitch. Liddi later scored when Diaz walked.
The Ports responded in the bottom of that frame as Shane Keough (who replaced Weeks as designated hitter in the 15th) hit a sacrifice fly to score Martinez.
High Desert scored the winning run on an error by Padron in the 21st, and the Ports stranded two batters in the bottom of the 21st to end the game.