Stockton Powers Past Giants, 9-3

SAN JOSE, CA - The Stockton Ports hit three two-run home runs Wednesday evening on their way to a 9-3 victory over the San Jose Giants at Municipal Stadium. The loss was San Jose's (57-78) second straight to open the series and sixth in their last seven games overall.
Jacob Heyward (3-for-4, 2 HR, 2 RBI) had three hits, including a pair of solo homers, to lead the Giants offensively in defeat.
The Ports never trailed in the contest scoring twice in the top of the first against San Jose starter Carlos Sano to take an early 2-0 lead. Trace Loehr led off the game with a 10-pitch at-bat that resulted in a double to deep right center field. Two batters later, Luke Persico drove home Loehr with another double. Viosergy Rosa then stepped to the plate and delivered the third double of the inning as Persico came home on the hit to make it 2-0.
The Giants immediately got one run back in the bottom of the first when Heyward led off with a home run down the left field line. San Jose though didn't manage another hit until the fifth inning and Stockton would add to their lead.
Sano tossed back-to-back 1-2-3 innings in the second and third and had retired nine straight hitters until Sandber Pimentel singled with one out in the top of the fourth. Then with two down, Edwin Diaz launched a towering two-run home run to deep left center. The homer extended the Ports lead to 4-1.
In the fifth, Santiago Chávez led off with a single before Persico belted a two-out, two-run home run to left off Sano for a 6-1 advantage.
Stockton stretched their lead to 7-1 in the top of the sixth when Loehr came through with a two-out RBI single - the third straight hit allowed by reliever Sandro Cabrera in the inning.
Heyward brought San Jose to within 7-2 with his second solo home run of the night - a deep drive to left center in the bottom of the sixth. An inning later, Kelvin Beltre produced a two-out RBI single to cut the deficit to 7-3, but the Giants would get no closer.
The Ports capped the scoring for the night when Pimentel hit Stockton's third two-out, two-run home run - a round-tripper in the top of the ninth off of Dylan Rheault to make it 9-3.
Matt Milburn (9-5) earned the win for the Ports after tossing six innings of long relief to finish the game. Milburn allowed two runs (both earned) and six hits. The right-hander struck out two and walked none. Grant Holmes started on the mound for Stockton in his first appearance of 2018 and surrendered just one hit and one run over the first three innings.
Sano (4-5) took the loss after yielding a season-high tying six runs (all earned) over five innings. He gave up seven hits, walked none and struck out eight.
Notes
* Stockton out-hit San Jose 13-7.
* Heyward had his first multi-homer game of the season. His home run in the bottom of the first was the Giants' second leadoff homer of the year (Johneshwy Fargas - April 30 vs. Visalia). Heyward has hit a career-high 11 home runs this season.
* John Russell threw two scoreless innings of relief for San Jose in his California League debut. Russell, who was added to the roster from Augusta (A) before the game on Wednesday, allowed one hit, walked none and struck out three.
* The Ports have hit five home runs over the first two games of the series.
* Milburn is third in the California League in ERA (3.49).
* The Giants had the leadoff batter reach base in eight out of the nine innings.
* San Jose fell a season-high 21 games below .500 overall.
On Deck
The Giants and Ports conclude their three-game series on Thursday afternoon with first pitch at Municipal Stadium scheduled for 12:30 PM. Mac Marshall (0-5, 4.85 ERA) is slated to start on the mound for San Jose while Stockton is expected to counter with Wyatt Marks (1-0, 3.18 ERA). For tickets, call (408) 297-1435 or visit sjgiants.com.