Strong Rawhide Pitching Silences Ports in Visalia

ISALIA, Ca. – The Ports managed just five hits while leaving ten runners on base as Stockton fell to the Rawhide 3-2 on Wednesday night at Valley Strong Ballpark in Visalia.

The win for the Rawhide snapped a nine-game losing streak and evened the series at one game apiece.

The Rawhide (17-42) were the first team to mount a serious threat, putting runners on second and third with nobody out after Deyvison De Los Santos doubled off Ports’ starter Yehizon Sanchez and Junior Franco singled and stole second base. On a ground out to first by Alvin Guzman, Shane McGuire threw back to second behind Franco after stepping on the bag, and Robert Puason after receiving the throw then fired home to nab De Los Sanotos trying to score on the play for a twin killing to help get Sanchez out of the inning unscathed.

The Ports (22-37) then took the lead in the top of the third inning against Visalia starter Josh Swales. With two outs and nobody on Max Muncy drilled his 12th home run of the season off the top of the scoreboard in right field to give Stockton a 1-0 lead.

Unfortunately for the Ports, their lead was short-lived as the Rawhide got to Sanchez in the bottom of the fourth. Wilderd Patiño singled to start the inning and after stealing second base, stole third with one out and scored on an errant throw by Stockton catcher Cooper Uhl to tie the game at one. The Rawhide then used the longball to take the lead, as Franco and Sergio Gutierrez each clubbed solo home runs to make it 3-1 Visalia. Franco’s shot was his third home run in two games to start the six-game series.

After leaving runners on base in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings the Ports finally broke through for another tally in the top of the eighth against relievers Rael Santos and Junior Mieses. Walks to McGuire, T.J. Schofield-Sam and Junior Perez loaded the bases with two outs for Cooper Uhl who was hit by a pitch to force a run in to cut the Rawhide lead to 3-2. The Ports, however, stranded the bases loaded when Mieses struck out Puason to preserve the Visalia advantage.

With the Ports trailing 3-2, Danny Bautista singled to lead off the frame to put the tying run on base with nobody out. After a strikeout of Mariano Ricciardi, Muncy hit a slow roller up the third base line and Visalia third baseman Jean Walters threw to second base to pick Bautista off after he rounded the bag for the second out. McGuire then flew out to left field to end the ballgame.

Swales (1-3) picked up his first win of the season, allowing just one run on four hits over 5.2 innings while striking out three. Sanchez (1-3) got the win for Stockton giving up three runs on seven hits in six innings. Mieses got the final four outs for his second save of the season.

The Ports and Rawhide continue their series with game three on Thursday night at Valley Strong Ballpark with first pitch at 6:30 pm.