Ports Avoid Sweep, Snap Skid in Sunday's 5-3 Win | | The Ports avoided a sweep from the visiting Visalia Rawhide in Sunday's 5-3 win to snap an eight game losing streak before they head to Modesto Tuesday to face their San Joaquin County rival. | | PREVIOUS GAMES AGAINST VISALIA | | - Tuesday, April 18 - The Ports received a strong start from Jose Dicochea in the morning series opener at Banner Island Ballpark going 4.2 IP while allowing just three hits and striking out five. T.J. Schofield-Sam drove in the Ports lone run on a RBI double in the third to put Stockton up 1-0. The Rawhide would strike late in the seventh stringing together three extra base hits and go on to win 3-1.
- Wednesday, April 19 - Stockton fell down early 4-0 and came up just short late with the tying run in scoring position. Wander Guante had a rocky start, allowing four runs on five hits and four walks. Stockton's bullpen neutralized Rawhide hitting allowing just two hits in six innings of relief but wasn't enough as Nelson Beltran doubled with one out in the ninth and was left stranded after Brennan Milone struck out and Clark Elliott flied out to end the game in the 4-3 loss to the Rawhide.
- Thursday, April 20 - Coming off his first California League Pitcher of the Week Award, Jake Garland gave manager Gregorio Petit length after a bullpen game on Wednesday. Garland pitched well for Stockton, giving them five innings and allowing three runs on seven hits while striking out five. But the Ports bats were quiet in game three plating just two runs and giving Garland (0-1) his first loss of the season in the Ports 8-2 loss.
- Friday, April 21 - Big Innings haunted the Ports Friday night as the Rawhide scored three in the first, five in the fourth and four in the fifth, handing Stockton their seventh straight loss in the 13-3 route.
- Saturday, April 22 - Costly errors and quiet bats did not bode well for the Ports as they were stifled by Rawhide pitching with just one hit from Clark Elliott while compiling five errors in the 7-2 loss Saturday night.
- Sunday, April 23 - Dheygler Gimenez had a nice bounce back start after going just three innings against Fresno last Sunday logging five innings and allowing just three runs on three hits and four strikeouts. Micah Dallas shutdown Rawhide hitting for three innings in relief of Gimenez while striking out four. Dallas Woolfolk would relieve Dallas in the ninth with two on and no out and produce two fly outs and a strike out against Rawhide's Danyer Sanabria with the bases-loaded to end the game and snap the Ports skid putting Stockton back in the win column in the 5-3 Sunday at Banner Island Ballpark.
TOP PERFORMERS - Colby Thomas continues to have a strong start to his professional career. Thomas saw his 12-game hitting streak to begin the season snap on Saturday night, going 0-3 with a hit by pitch. While his hitting streak is no more, Thomas still has an impressive 14-game on-base streak to begin the season racking up a .365 OBP, good for third on the team.
- Blaze Pontes showed up for the Ports this week against Visalia throwing 3.1 IP and allowing just one hit and two walks with four strikeouts. The 16th round draft pick in 2022 out of Hawaii University now has an ERA of 1.06 in 8.2 innings pitched, good for first out of the Ports bullpen.
- Jose Dicochea is back and better than ever. The righty starter has yet to allow a run in his first two starts of the season in 8.2 innings pitched. In that time, he's struck out 10, walked just three, and has a .156 opponent's batting average against him.
| | SERIES PREVIEW vs. MODESTO NUTS | | | The Ports hit the road again, this time to John Thurman field for the first time this season for a six-game set with the Modesto Nuts (Seattle Mariners Single-A affiliate) starting on Tuesday, April 25th through Sunday, April 30th.
At Bat this Week @ Modesto Nuts John Thurman Field // Modesto, Calif. - Tuesday, April 25 // 7:05 P.m. PT
- Wednesday, April 26 // 4:05 p.m. PT
- Thursday, April 27 // 7:05 p.m. PT
- Friday, April 28 // 7:05 p.m. PT
- Saturday, April 29 // 6:05 p.m. PT
- Sunday, April 30 // 2:05 p.m. PT
Radio Stream: https://www.iheart.com/live/fox-sports-am-1280-5236/ MiLBTV: Modesto Broadcast Twitter: @stocktonports
On Deck vs. Fresno Grizzlies Banner Island Ballpark Tuesday, May 2 - Sunday, May 7 // Times vary Following their six-game series against the Nuts, the Ports travel back home to take on the Fresno Grizzlies for the second time this season. Stockton is 2-4 against the Grizzlies so far this season after the first matchup between the two teams at Chukchansi Park in Fresno April 11-April 16.
Against Modesto Nuts This will be the second matchup of the season between the Ports and the Nuts after Modesto came into Banner Island Ballpark and swept Stockton during the Ports Opening Weekend April 6th-April 8th. Modesto outscored the Ports 30-16 during the three-game stretch, while plating at least eight runs in each of the three games against Stockton.
Since the start of 2022, the two teams have faired well against each other with Modesto just one game better at 17-16 against Stockton. Offense doesn't shy when these two teams meet. The Nuts have scored double digits in 11 games since 2022 and the Ports having just three such games. Despite being over powered by Modesto's hitting, the Ports have one the close games going 7-0 in one-run games since the start of last season against the Nuts.
Anchors in the Pen Blaze Pontes and Aaron Cohn have provided stability in a Ports bullpen that's gotten off to a slower start to begin the 2023 season. Pontes has an ERA of 1.04 through his first five games (8.2 innings) while allowing just one run and striking out nine. Cohn stands right behind Pontes allowing just one earned run in four innings of relief so far. The two righties combined have a 1.48 ERA.
1-2-3 Colby Thomas, Clark Elliott, and Brayan Buelvas have provided stability in the top of the order for the Ports as the 2022 draft picks and Buelvas are off to hot starts. Thomas (.298) and Buelvas (.300) lead the team in average with Elliott (.275) behind them at third. Thomas has reached safely in all 14 games this season played this season and leads the team in RBI (9) and Elliott with seven of his own.
WHO’S HOT COLBY THOMAS, OF: Thomas has hit safely in 13 of 14 games so far this season, batting .302 (17-for-57) with a home run, three doubles and a team-leading 9 RBIs. The Ports’ outfielder has four multi-hit games on the season.
BRAYAN BUELVAS, OF: The Ports’ outfielder has hit safely in six of his last nine games, going 10-for-32 with 3 2B, a 3B and 2 RBI. Buelvas is batting a team-high .300 and also leads the club in SLG (.500) and OPS (.897).
About the Nuts - The Nuts are 8-7 through the first 15 games of the season coming off a series split against the Lake Elsinore Storm down at The Diamond.
- Modesto leads the Cal League in batting average with a .272 clip and is good for second in all of Single-A behind the Delmarva Shorebirds(.285).
- Modesto (8-7) currently sits tied for second in the California League Northern Division with San Jose(8-7).
- The Nuts are top three in the three major offensive categories - 1st in average (.272), 2nd in RBI (74), and 3rd in home runs (13).
- Michael Morales leads the Nuts starting pitching staff owning a .90 ERA in his first two starts (10 innings).
- Stefan Raeth continues his dominance out of the bullpen to start the season. In his first four games, Raeth has yet to allow a run in 3.2 IP while striking out three and allowing just one hit.
- Josh Hood leads the Cal League in RBI (15).
| | WEIGHING ANCHOR: THESE PLAYERS HAVE CONTINUED TO MASH SINCE PROMOTION FROM PORTS | | | As the first level in the Oakland A’s minor leagues with a full season of baseball, the Stockton Ports are lucky to have first looks at many recent draft picks and top prospects play for the team before being moved up the minor league ranks.
Here are some prominent former Ports who thrived in Stockton and have continued their success into the higher levels of the minor leagues.
Tyler Soderstrom is the A’s top prospect and is now a little over a year removed from playing for the Ports. The catcher and first baseman was a first round pick by the A’s in 2020 from Turlock High School in Turlock, California, less than an hour drive from Stockton.
He made his professional debut with the Ports the following season where he hit .306 with 12 home runs.
In 2022, Soderstrom had stops in Lansing and Midland before making it to triple-A Las Vegas. Still just 21 years old, he started this season in Las Vegas, batting .286 with four home runs in 15 games, and looks like he’s on the cusp of making his major league debut.
Soderstrom has excellent power with 29 home runs between three minor league levels at 2022. His power from the catcher position is a luxury the A’s would love to have.
Zack Gelof, a second and third baseman, was a second round pick by the A’s in 2021 from the University of Virginia and joined the Ports that same year, playing on the team with Soderstrom. In Stockton he had a .942 OPS and seven home runs in just 32 games.
He started 2022 in Midland but was promoted to Las Vegas during the season. This past offseason, Gelof played in the Arizona Fall League and then the World Baseball Classic for team Israel. Currently ranked as the A’s second best prospect behind Soderstrom, Gelof is playing in Las Vegas and has a .406 OBP through seven games.
Lawrence Butler is the oldest draftee on this list, being the A’s 6th round selection in 2018 from Westlake High School in Atlanta, Georgia. He splits his time between first base and outfield, primarily playing the corners, though he has had 36 appearances in center field as a pro.
Butler was a prolific hitter for the Ports in 2021, leading the team in home runs (17), RBI (67), and stolen bases (26) while playing in 88 games. MLB.com has Butler’s hit and run tools as his most highly rated and this speed and power combination is what has A’s fans excited.
He spent 2021 in Lansing where he had an .825 OPS. Butler started this season in Midland where he’s batting .275 with eight RBI through 14 games.
| | 2021 & ‘22 PORTS MAKE IMPACT ON MLB SPRING TRAINING | | | Denzel Clarke: The A’s 4th-round pick out of Cal State Northridge in 2021, Clarke went 7-for-14 (.500) with a double, a triple and 3 SB in 21 PA in Cactus League play. The Ontario native also participated in the World Baseball Classic in March, going 0-for-8 in three games with Team Canada. In 42 games with the Ports in 2022, Clarke batted .295 with 7 HR and 26 RBI while also registering 14 2B and 14 SB before being promoted to High-A Lansing on June 13.
Lawrence Butler: Perhaps no player in the A’s organization enhanced their prospect status more than Butler this spring, as he batted .478 (11-for-23) with a HR and 10 RBI while adding 4 2B, a triple and 2 SB in the Cactus League. “Law” enjoyed a breakout season with the Ports in 2021, batting .263 while leading the club with 17 HR, 67 RBI, 20 2B and 26 SB over 88 games before a promotion to High-A Lansing to finish the campaign.
Tyler Soderstrom: A consensus top-40 prospect, as well as the top prospect in the A’s system by every major outlet, Soderstrom received a long look in big league camp. The 26th overall pick of the 2020 draft out of Turlock High School more than held his own with the boys, batting .265 with a home run, three doubles and a triple over 17 games of Cactus League play. Making his pro debut with the Ports in 2021, the backstop batted .306 with 12 HR, 49 RBI and a team-high 20 2B despite playing in just 57 games before his season was cut short due to a back injury in late July.
Zack Gelof: Gelof was up to his usual tricks in the Cactus League this spring, batting .320 (8-for-25) with two doubles. He also participated in the World Baseball Classic, going 0-for-13 in four games with Team Israel. While his time with the Ports was short, Gelof more than made an impression in late 2021 after being selected in the 2nd round out of Virginia. In 32 games in Stockton, Gelof batted .298 with 7 HR and 22 RBI while also swiping 11 bags. | | Jake Garland Named California League Pitcher of the Week (April 10-April 16) | | Ports starting pitcher Jake Garland was named the Single-A Pitcher of the Week after his brilliant performance on Thursday, April 13 where he tossed five scoreless no-hit innings while striking out seven, a career high for the former 17th round draft pick in the Ports 5-4 win. Garland is the first pitcher to win the award since Kyle Virbitsky did it in June of 2022. | | Stockton Ports Alumni Night - Saturday, May 20th
| | | Mark your calendar as the Stockton Ports annual Alumni Night is back once again in 2023! Alumni Night is scheduled for Saturday, May 20th, 2023, at Banner Island Ballpark where the Ports will take on the San Jose Giants. Alumni will be available to sign autographs and take pictures all throughout the night - bring your gear!
| | | | |
No comments:
Post a Comment