Ports Drop Series Finale with 66ers in Extras

STOCKTON, Calif. – The Stockton faithful were treated to bonus baseball on Sunday night, as last home game of July for the Ports lasted 11 innings, but the home team was stuck on one hit after the first inning and lost 2-1 to the Inland Empire 66ers.

The Ports struck first when Max Muncy blasted a solo home run out to right field for his 16th long ball of the season. It was fittingly an “oppo-taco” into the Jackson Rancheria Back Porch that put the Ports up 1-0 in the bottom of the first.

Stockton got another good outing from Yehizon Sanchez who went 4.1 innings allowing no runs on four hits with two walks and three strikeouts. Calvin Coker relieved him and threw a scoreless 1.2 innings with no walks and one punch out.

That one run stood until the seventh when the first two 66ers reached via walks issued by Ed Baram. A bunt and a sac fly tied the game up at one apiece going into the seventh-inning stretch.

The Ports would earn seven walks on the night, but couldn’t get another hit to land while striking out 15 times and going 0 for 10 with runners in scoring position, leading to nine runners stranded.

The 66ers would break through in the 11th by taking advantage of Ports miscues. They got a grounder to third with runners at first and second, and Jhoan Paulino initially made a great play to corral a cue shot off the bat of B.J. Boyd and step on the bag for the force at third, but threw wildly to first allowing the winning run to score.

A Shane McGuire ground out to second got Muncy to third with one out in the bottom of the 11th. But after a Paulinostrike out, Junior Perez drove a fly ball to the track that came up just short of giving the Ports a walk-off win.