The Stockton Ports and Visalia Rawhide went back-and-forth in the early innings of their series opener at Banner Island Ballpark on Tuesday before Stockton pulled away late for an 11-5 victory. The middle of the batting order did the bulk of the damage on offense while four Ports pitchers teamed up to allow just two earned runs.
RHP Yunior Tur worked out of some first-inning traffic with no damage in the top of the first. Tur got the third out on a pickoff at first base to end the Visalia threat. Stockton then struck for three first-innings runs when Myles Naylor blasted a three-run home run, his third long-ball of the season. All nine hitters came to the plate with Visalia starter Casey Anderson avoiding further damage while leaving the bases loaded.
Back came the Rawhide in the top of the second. Kenny Castillo and Druw Jones started the frame with back-to-back doubles to cut into the lead. Tur retired the next two hitters and then got Jakey Josepha to ground to 2B, but Casey Yamauchi bobbled the ball and then threw wide of first to extend the inning and allow Jones to score to trim Stockton’s lead to 3-2. Two more unearned runs came in and when they were done, Visalia had a 4-3 lead.
After Tur worked out of trouble again in the top of the third, the Ports evened up the score in the bottom of the inning with a lead-off homerun from Nate Nankill (3). The home team took the lead for good with a bases-loaded walk later in the inning.
Tur finished with a line of 3IP, 4 R (1 ER), 7 H, 2 BB and 1 K.
From there, the Ports kept adding on while the pitching staff held the Rawhide to just one more run on a sixth-inning RBI single by Jansel Luis. Diego Barrera (W, 1-0) went two scoreless innings in relief allowing just one hit and striking out three.
The 3-4-5-6 hitters in the Stockton lineup went 7-for-17 with two doubles and two homers while driving in seven runs. (Luke Mann, Nankill, Naylor and Darlyn Montero).
Game 2 is tonight at 7:05
NOTES
DRUW JONES, the Diamondbacks’ #3 prospect per MLB.com, struggled mightily over the first eight games of the season but has turned it around, hitting safely in eight of his last nine games while going 10-for-28 with two doubles, a triple and a home run. Better yet, Jones’ walks and strikeout have improved dramatically. Through eight games, Jones had 2 BB and 21 Ks, including an 0-for-5/5 K night. In the next nine games, Jones has 8 BB and 8 Ks.
MYLES NAYLOR, Oakland’s #9 prospect is off to a slow start in 2024. Just 9-for-63 at the plate, the 19-year old has flashed some power with the three home runs and has walked 18 times against 20 strikeouts. But he entered the series on a 2-for-26 skid.
3B LUKE MANN for Stockton has hit safely in six of his last seven games with a pair of two-hit games over his last three games (4-for-12). Over his last 10 games, Mann is 13-for his last 40.
