Five-Run Third for Quakes Leads to 8-7 Loss for Ports

STOCKTON, Calif. — A back-and-forth affair went to the Quakes on Thursday night, as they held off a Ports comeback to win 8-7 in game three of the six-game series at Banner Island Ballpark.

Myles Naylor put the Ports out in front in the second inning with a two-run double (10) to right center for a 2-0 lead on his 39th and 40th RBIs of the season. Errors would cost Stockton again though as they did on Tuesday night, with none of the seven runs Tzu-Chen Sha allowed being earned.

After retiring the the first two batters in the third, an error at second opened the flood gates for Rancho Cucamonga. They would score five runs in the third to take the lead for good, with the big knock being a bases-loaded double for Quakes catcher Carlos Rojas.

The Ports would answer right away, with Oakland A’s rehabber, Esteury Ruiz, pulling a double down the third base line and coming in to score on a ground out from T.J. Schofield-Sam, before Ryan Lasko scored on a wild pitch to make it 5-4. An error at short by the Ports started the fourth, however, and Sean McLain would hit a two-run homer (3) out to deep left with two outs for his second long ball of the series and a 7-4 Rancho lead.

Elvis Rijo drove in Clark Elliott in the in the bottom of the inning to make it 7-5, but the Quakes would answer again with a tally in the fifth for the only run Ryan Brown would allow in his 4.1 innings pitched, putting them up 8-5.

Stockton cut it to a one-run game in the bottom of the sixth, which started with Nelson Beltran doubling to right center and Ruiz singling to left. Lasko would double down the third base line to score Beltran and move Ruiz to third to cut it to 8-6.

Schofield-Sam would hit into some tough luck however, as he drilled a line drive up the middle at 105 mph that ricocheted off the back of the pitcher. Not only did that prevent the ball from getting through the middle to potentially score both runs, it deflected right to the Quakes third baseman who threw out Schofield-Sam for the second out. It did score Ruiz and made it just an 8-7 lead for Rancho, but a fly out from Dereck Salom would end the inning. The Ports would put two runners on in the eighth with one out, but were not able to score.

Lasko extended his RBI streak to seven games and his on-base streak to 17 straight. Nankil and Naylor’s on-base streaks moved to 16 and 14 games respectively.

UP NEXT
Game four is scheduled for 7:05 PM with LHP Luke Fox (0-0, 2.70) against RHP Corey Avant (2-3, 5.79). The first 500 fans will receive a “5 O'Clock Dock” Bobblehead, courtesy of The Last Dive Bar! *NOTE - This is NOT a Stockton Ports guaranteed giveaway for season ticket holder.

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].