Pen Keeps Ports Afloat to Set Up Rally in Eighth

FRESNO, Calif. — A three-run rally in the top of the eighth gave the Ports a comeback win over Fresno on Tuesday night, taking the first game of the series 4-3 over the Grizzlies.

Stockton trailed early when Fresno got a run in the first on a base hit to right by Glenallen Hill Jr. to go up 1-0. But unlike the last outing for 18-year-old Steven Echavarria, he kept the damage to just that one run in the first, and had a scoreless second inning.

In the third, however, the Grizzlies loaded the bases on a single by Hill, a hit by pitch, and an error, before a two-RBI double by EJ Andrews Jr. made it 3-0 Fresno. That would be the end of the night for Echavarria, but Mark Adamiak came in and shut the door on the rally with two strikeouts and a ground out.

Adamiak would pitch a scoreless fourth inning as well, before Ryan Brown came in and threw four scoreless innings of his own. Those performances from Adamiak and Brown kept the Ports afloat until they could break through on the Fresno pen.

Ryan Lasko hit a solo home run (4) out to left 339 feet to make it a 3-1 game in the fifth of starter Alberto Pacheco. Unfortunately the Ports grounded into a double play right before Lasko came up, otherwise it could have been a tie game right then and there.

The score remained 3-1 until the eighth when Nelson Beltran singled to left to start the inning, before Clark Elliott and Nate Nankil drew walks to load the bases. A wild pitch by reliever Bryson Hammer scored Beltran to make it 3-2, then Myles Naylor smacked a ground ball through the left side that scored Elliot for 3-3 tie.

Catcher Carlos Franco grounded a ball to short, but his hustle down the line forced a low throw to first and avoided the double play, giving the Ports a 4-3 advantage. Diego Barrera came in to close out the game, and the team’s wins leader with five retired the Grizzlies in order for his second save of the season. Meanwhile the Ports’ saves leader with four, Brown, collected his second win.

UP NEXT
Game two will be another 6:50 start at Chukchansi Park, with LHP Kannon Handy (1-1, 8.22) against RHP Mark Avant (2-2, 6.48).

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].