Ports Hold Off Giants, Come Out On Top in Slugfest

Box Score

SAN JOSE, Ca. – The Ports lost a 7-0 lead by the third inning but reclaimed the lead in the middle innings before holding off the Giants in the ninth for a 10-9 victory on Thursday night at Excite Ballpark in San Jose.

The Ports (37-68) took the early lead with a five-run top of the first. Caeden Trenkle got the big inning started on the second pitch of the game, launching a leadoff home run to right center to give the Ports a 1-0 lead. After a single by Danny Bautista, T.J. Schofield-Sam followed with a two-run homer to right field to make it 3-0. With Kevin Richards at third base with two outs after a single and throwing error on San Jose catcher Adrian Sugastey, CJ Rodriguez doubled off the left field wall to score another extending the Stockton advantage to 4-0. The Ports then made it 5-0 when Cameron Masterman followed with a single up the middle to drive in Rodriguez.

Schofield-Sam struck again in the top of the second, following a Bautista double with his second two-run shot of the day, this time to straight-away center, to make it 7-0.

With five unearned runs in the bottom of the second, the Giants (59-46) got back into the ballgame. Victor Bericoto reached on an error by Schofield-Sam at third base to start the inning, and the Giants loaded the bases with one out after a single, strikeout and walk. Garrett Frechette then lifted a sacrifice fly to left field to get San Jose on the board making it 7-1 and after nine-hitter Anyesber Sivira was hit by a pitch, Grant McCray hit a grand slam to right center to cut the Stockton lead to 7-5.

After the Ports got a run back in the top of the third on an RBI single by Trenkle to make it 8-5, the Giants tied the game with two outs in the bottom of the third on a three-run homer off the bat of Alexander Suarez to make it 8-8.

The Ports broke the 8-8 tie in the top of the fifth inning. Rodriguez led off with a single up the middle and Masterman followed with a double off the wall in right center to put runners on second and third with nobody out. After a strikeout, Trenkle drove a sacrifice fly to right center to score Rodriguez from third base, putting the Ports back on top 9-8.

Masterman added a run in the top of the seventh with a solo homer to right center to make it 10-8 Stockton.

With the Ports still leading by two heading into the bottom of the ninth inning, the Giants made things interesting. McCray led off with a double off Stockton reliever Serafino Brito and moved to third on a wild pitch. After a walk and a strikeout, Brito surrendered a single to Bericoto to drive in McCray to cut the Stockton lead to one. Aaron Cohn then came on for the Ports and slammed the door, getting Sugastey and Yorlis Rodriguez to fly out with the tying run on second to end the ballgame.

Ports reliever Luke Anderson (6-7) got the win, firing three shutout innings allowing just two hits with a strikeout. Giants’ reliever Joe Kemlage (1-1) took the loss allowing three runs (two earned) on five hits over five innings.

The Ports will go for their third straight win on Friday in game four of their series at Excite Ballpark in San Jose with first pitch at 6:30 pm.