Nail Biter Goes to Grizzlies in 11 Innings

FRESNO, Calif. — The Ports came back twice to take a late lead in Saturday’s game against the Grizzlies, but Fresno walked it off in the bottom of the 11th for a 4-3 victory to claim the series.

The game was scoreless going into the bottom of the eighth and Stockton starter Jose Dicochea allowed just one hit, which occurred in his final frame after being perfect through 4.1 innings. However, unconverted opportunities were the difference on the night for Stockton from the very first inning.

Myles Naylor doubled into the left-field corner on the first pitch of the contest, but would be stranded at third. Stockton had runners at the corners with one out in the second inning, and tried a squeeze play to get a run in. Jose Escorche got a bunt down, but a slider ran in on him and jammed Escorche on the bunt attempt, which went out a little too far to pitcher Isiah Coupet, who scooped the ball with this glove and got it to the catcher in one motion, eliminating Carlos Amaya at the plate. Nate Nankil and Clark Elliott would each get hits in the third with two out, but a line out to left would end the inning, before the Ports were held hitless until the ninth.

After Dicochea’s five scoreless innings, Yunior Tur went to work and kept the shutout going into the bottom of the eighth. He struck out Grizzlies second baseman Tevin Tucker on a bouncer in the dirt, but the wild pitch allowed him to reach base. Luke Anderson relieved Tur and got a hard hit ground ball off the bat of first baseman Nick Gile that deflected off the glove of Elvis Rijo on a diving attempt near the third base bag. It scored Tucker and put Fresno ahead 1-0.

The Ports were down to their last out in the top of the ninth, when Ryan Lasko singled up the middle to score Escorche and Amaya to put Stockton ahead 2-1. But Fresno would even things up in the bottom of the inning with two outs on an RBI double to left center. Mark Adamiak would get a strikeout to close out the inning and send the game into the 10th.

A single to left from Amaya scored T.J. Schofield-Sam to get the “ghost runner” home and put the Ports up 3-2. But ground outs from Rijo and pinch hitter Nelson Beltran left Nankil stranded at third. The bottom of the 10th would be the weirdest inning off all, as a wild pitch from Adamiak got the extra-inning runner over to third, before a balk brought him home to tie the game at 3-3. Another wild pitch almost won the game for Fresno, but a fortuitous bounce brought the ball right back to Amaya, and the runner Gile was caught in a run down to end the 10th.

In the 11th, Naylor walked to join the ghost runner Beltran on the bases. Lasko then bunted to try and move them both up, but the bunt was in the air for a bit, causing Beltran to wait to see if it would be caught and he would get thrown out at third. A line out and a ground ended the top of the 11th without a run scoring, making things difficult for any road team in the era of the automatic base runner in baseball.

A Braylen Wimmer bunt stayed fair up the third base line to start the 11th inning and get the automatic runner to third. A come backer off the bat of Brad Cumbest deflected off pitcher Diego Barrera’s glove and out of the reach of Naylor at short to score the winning run and give Fresno the 4-3 walk off.

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The series finale is scheduled for a 5:05 PM first pitch on Sunday, with RHP Jace Kaminska (3-2, 2.53) going up against RHP Steven Echavarria (0-3, 8.87).

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].