Grizzlies Take Early Lead and Keep Ports at Arm's Length to Win Game Three

FRESNO, Calif. — The Ports struck first on Thursday night in Fresno, but the Grizzlies struck often on their way to an 11-5 defeat of Stockton to take a 2-1 lead in the six-game series.

A sac fly from Rodney Green Jr. scored Joshua Kuroda-Grauer for an early 1-0 lead, but 19-year-old starter Steven Echavarria struggled with command in his two innings pitched on the night.

He faced eight batters in each of the first two innings and allowed two runs in the first and four in the second. He walked a pair in the first and allowed an RBI ground out and a double. He walked a batter with the bases loaded and hit a batter in the second, along with a two-run double and a sac fly for a 6-1 Fresno lead.

Stockton got a run in the fifth on a solo home run from Darlyn Montero (6) into centerfield that traveled 406 feet for a 6-2 game. But Fresno got three runs in the bottom of the inning capped off by a 420-foot, two-run homer for Caleb Hobson to make it 9-2.

Dereck Salom hit a rocket 365 feet out to left for his first home run of the season, scoring Nick Schwartz in the process — who extended his on-base streak to 22 games — to cut it to 9-4. But the Grizzlies scored two more with a pair of doubles in the bottom of the frame, continuing to answer every time the Ports made it interesting again.

UP NEXT:
RHP Bryan Mena will start for Fresno versus 2024, 11th round pick Kyle Robinson, who will make his Ports debut in a 7:05 PM start.

Single game tickets, mini plans, and group outings are all on sale for the 2024 season. For more information, call the Ports front office at 209-644-1900 or email at [email protected].