Ports Ride Six-Run Fifth to Victory in San Jose

Box Score

SAN JOSE, Ca. – The Ports pounded out 13 hits and scored six runs in the fifth inning while James Gonzalez completed a career-high six innings as Stockton defeated the Giants 9-2 on Wednesday afternoon at Excite Ballpark in San Jose.

The Ports (36-67) took the lead right out of the gate in the top of the first. Caeden Trenkle got a three-hit day started by bouncing the first pitch of the ballgame up the middle for a single and after moving to second base on a wild pitch, scored on a double to left field by T.J. Schofield-Sam to make it 1-0 Stockton in the first inning.

With the game tied at one after a leadoff homer by Victor Bericoto in the bottom of the second inning, the Ports sent 11 batters to the plate and exploded for six runs in the top of the fifth to take a commanding lead. Trenkle started the frame with a double to center field, and after a Danny Bautista was hit by a pitch, moved up to third on single to Schofield-Sam to load the bases with nobody out. Trenkle scored when the throw home on a bouncer to third was bobbled by San Jose catcher Rayner Santana to give the Ports a 2-1 lead. A walk to Daniel Susac and wild pitch forced in two more runs to make it 4-1, and after a walk to Junior Perez loaded the bases again, Brennan Milone lined a single to center to score Tommy Stevenson from third base to extend the Stockton lead to 5-1. With the bases still loaded and just one out, Dereck Salom was hit by a pitch to score Susac from third base and Trenkle reached on a fielders’ choice to score Perez from third base making it 7-1 Ports.

After James Gonzalez stranded a runner on second base to secure a shut-down inning in the bottom of the fifth, the Ports added two more in the top of the sixth. Schofield-Sam started the inning with a single to right field to put a runner on for Stevenson who clubbed a two-run homer to left field, the first of his professional career, to make it 9-1.

The Giants (59-45) scratched one run across in the bottom of the eighth inning when Jared Dupere hit a solo home run to center, but Clark Cota and Serafino Brito retired the final five batters in order to end the ballgame.

Allowing just one run on five hits while striking out four over his career-high six innings, Ports’ starter James Gonzalez (1-6) picked up his first win of the season. Giants’ starter Manuel Mercedes (1-5) took the loss, surrendering six runs (five earned) on seven hits in four innings while walking three and striking out one.

The Ports will look to make it two in a row in the South Bay with game three of their six-game series against the Giants at Excite Ballpark on Thursday evening with first pitch at 6:30 pm.