Monday Baseball Bulletin

Ports Take Two in Rancho Cucamonga, Welcome San Jose Giants This Week

Stockton took two games from the first-place Rancho Cucamonga Quakes this past week in a six-game set down at LoanMart Field. The Ports now come back home to welcome the San Jose Giants for the first time this season with the a sell out home opener set for Tuesday, May 16th with first pitch scheduled for 11:00 AM.

PREVIOUS GAMES AGAINST RANCHO CUCAMONGA

Tuesday, May 9 - The Rancho Cucamonga Quakes scored twice in the bottom of the ninth on three straight hits to walk off on the Ports, who lost their fourth straight game with a 4-3 setback at LoanMart Field on Tuesday afternoon.
Wednesday, May 10 - Three pitchers combined to allow just one hit and the Ports took advantage of walks as Stockton beat the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes 2-1 on Wednesday night to even the six-game series at one game apiece.
Thursday, May 11 - The Ports again found themselves on the wrong side of a close game as the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes rode back-to-back home runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to come back to defeat Stockton 4-3 on Thursday night.
Friday, May 12 - The Ports fell in a 5-0 hole after the first inning and managed just four hits for the game as Stockton fell to the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes 11-1 on Friday night.
Saturday, May 13 - The Rancho Cucamonga Quakes scored four unanswered runs in the sixth and seventh inning again to beat the Ports 7-5 in come from behind fashion on Saturday night at LoanMart Field. It was the Ports’ third blown save of the series and 13th of the season.
Sunday, May 14 - Henry Bolte had four hits and drove in five runs to lead a potent offensive attack as the Ports beat the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes 13-12 in the finale of a six-game series at Loan Mart Field on Sunday afternoon.

TOP PERFORMERS

Brennan Milone: Like Schofield-Sam, Milone has been red-hot in May. The former Oregon Duck is batting .333 over his last 10 games with 4 2B, a home run and 7 RBI. Milone has walked 10 times during that span and has an OPS of .996.
T.J. Schofield-Sam: Schofield-Sam raised his average for the month of May to .333 through eight games with 3 2B, a home run and 5 RBIs. He has a .586 SLG and 1.010 OPS in May.
Jake Pfennigs - Pfennigs has been on a role as of late. In his last three appearances, the righty has pitched nine straight scoreless innings including one start while striking out 14 during the span and a season high six strikeouts against the Quakes on May 10th.

SERIES PREVIEW vs. SAN JOSE GIANTS

The Ports head back home to take on the Giants (San Francisco Giants Single-A affiliate) starting Tuesday, May 16th through Sunday, May 21st.

At Bat this Week

vs. San Jose Giants

Banner Island Ballpark // San Jose Giants

Tuesday, May 16 // 11:00 a.m. PT
Wednesday, May 17 // 7:05 p.m. PT
Thursday, May 18 // 7:05 p.m. PT
Friday, May 19 // 7:05 p.m. PT
Saturday, May 20 // 7:05 p.m. PT
Sunday, May 21 // 2:09 p.m. PT

Radio Stream: https://www.iheart.com/live/fox-sports-am-1280-5236/

Twitter: @stocktonports

On Deck

@ Fresno Grizzlies

Chukchansi Park

Tuesday, May 23 - Sunday, May 28 // Times vary

Following their six-game series against the Giants, the Ports go back on the road to Fresno to face the Fresno Grizzlies for the third time this season. The Ports are 5-7 against Fresno in the first 12 games.

Against San Jose Giants

This will be the first time the the two teams have met this season. The Giants doomed trouble for the Ports last season with Stockton going just 6-18 against their Northern Division foe.

San Jose makes their way into Stockton coming off of a series win against the Lake Elsinore Storm taking five out of six and currently on a four game winning streak. The Giants have the most runs score in the California League with 223 and hold the largest run differential in all of Single-A with a +65 accompanied with one of the top offenses in all of Single-A with a team best .279 batting average, .23 points higher than second place (.256, Clearwater Threshers).

Stockton sits last in the California League with a 8-25 record and coming off a series loss against the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes where they took two games in the six-game set at LoanMart Field which included a win in the series finale 13-12.

The Giants have five hitters hitting over .300 and eight hitting over .250. All nine of their regular starters have an OBP of at least .340 or higher and giving them a Single-A team-high .383 on-base percentage.

STARTING PITCHING ON A RUN: Before Friday’s game when Stockton starter Yehizon Sanchez was unable to get out of the first inning allowing 5 ER, the Ports rotation had been on a nice run over their last 14 games. Since April 26, the Ports have allowed just 17 ER over 71.2 IP for an ERA of 2.15. Including the last two games, the Ports’ starters have compiled a 2.36 ERA over their last 13 games.

LATE-GAME CURSE LINGERS: While the Ports’ 7-25 record is tough to swallow, it becomes even more painful when considering Stockton’s luck in late-game situations so far in 2023. The Ports’ 13 blown saves this season are the most in the league, four more than the second-most in the league (Modesto Nuts, 8). The Ports’ bullpen ERA is 6.74 which is second-highest in the league behind the Nuts (6.86). Stockton has had particularly rough luck lately. Ports opponents have either walked off with a win or come back from a deficit to win in the sixth inning or later nine times over Stockton’s last 16 games. Ports opponents have scored 59 runs in the 6th inning or later during that stretch, an average of 3.7 runs per game. Eight of the Ports’ 11 losses in that time have been by one run.

WORK TO DO WITH THE LEATHER: Despite just two errors over their last four games, the Ports are still at the bottom of the California League with a fielding percentage of .956 and their 54 errors on the season are the most in the league. Things are looking up since the calendar turned, however, as the Ports have a .963 fielding percentage in May, 5th-best in the league. Stockton has committed 17 errors in 11 games this month.

About the Giants

The Giants are 22-11, good for first in the California League Northern Division and coming off a series win taking five out of six against the Lake Elsinore Storm at Excite Ballpark.
The Giants are 18-6 against the Ports since 2022.
7-5 on the road
Onil Perez leads the team in batting average (.358)
Hayden Birdsong leads the starting rotation with a 1.93 earned run average in seven starts with 39 strikeouts, and opponents hitting .216 against him.
Thomas Gavello was just named California League Player of the Week this past week going 7-15 with three home runs, eight RBI, and six runs.

Former Port Garrett Acton Makes MLB Debut

Former Stockton Port Garrett Acton made his Major League debut Sunday afternoon for the Oakland Athletics. Acton played for the Ports in the 2021 season where he went 2-0 with a 3.72 ERA and 50 strikeouts.

Acton came in relief for the A's Sunday pitching a perfect 1.2 IP while striking out two. His first career MLB strikeout came against Leody Taveras with a runner on second to eventually end the inning with his second strikeout being the former Silver Slugger and Oakland Athletic Marcus Semien.

Acton was originally drafted by the Chicago White Sox in 2016 but opted to go to college instead, first to Saint Louis University and then transferred to Illinois University in 2019 where he became the team's closer compiling 25 career saves with a 2.19 ERA. He was later signed by the A's in the 2020 season as a undrafted free agent and made his debut for the Ports in 2021 before being pulled up to High-A Lansing in the same season in June of 2021.

ROSTER MOVES

5/10: OF Clark Elliott promoted to High-A Lansing

5/10: OF Nelson Beltran added from Extended Spring Training

5/2: OF Kevin Richards placed on 7-day IL

5/2: C Mario Gomez added from ACL

4/30: Micah Dallas was promoted to Triple-A Las Vegas on Sunday, April 30th to open for the Aviators. The outing didn't go as expected for the former Aggie as he lasted just 1.2 IP giving up five hits, eight runs, and four walks while punching out three.

4/24: The Ports welcomed in three new players on Monday, April 24: OF Henry Bolte, INF Bjay Cooke and C/INF Tommy Stevenson. Bolte is the highest-regarded prospect of the group; the A’s 2022 2nd round pick out of Palo Alto High School in the Bay Area is Oakland’s 11th-ranked prospect per MLB Pipeline. Cooke is a two-way prospect signed out of Australia last May, while Stevenson was selected in the 19th round last season and had an end-of-season cameo with Stockton in 2022. To make room on the roster, OF Nelson Beltran, INF Darlyn Montero and C Hansen Lopez were transferred to the Arizona Complex League.

QUICK HITS

Jake Pfennigs - Pfennigs has been on a role as of late. In his last three appearances, the righty has pitched nine straight scoreless innings including one start while striking out 14 during the span and a season high six strikeouts against the Quakes on May 10th.
Clark Elliott was pulled up to High-A Lansing on Wednesday, May 10th. Upon his callup, Elliott had a team high .410 OBP and hitting a team high .269 with a home run, 12 RBI, and 21 walks.
T.J. Schofield-Sam hit his first home run Saturday, a two run shot, giving him his 13th and 14th RBI of the season, tying him with Colby Thomas (14) for most on the team.
Brayan Buelvas is T-first in the California League with 13 stolen bases with Inland Empire's Nelson Rada.
Robert Puason - After snapping a 1-for-27, Puason is 6-for-16 over his last four games.

Former Port Raymond Oscar Scott Passes Away

The Stockton Ports are saddened to hear about the passing of former Ports player, Raymond Scott. Scott passed away on April 9th, 2023. He is survived by the love of his life and best friend for 64 years Stella, his children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren.

Ray played professional baseball in the States in 1957 but decided to come home because he missed his family.

Later he moved to Kamloops and was employed by Dearborn Motors. Upon his eventual retirement, he continued with his quarter horse business at his Knutsford ranch. From a work standpoint, this was the “Horse Whisperer’s” dream job.

In later years he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. Ray and Stella decided to sell off their little piece of heaven for a simpler life.

In his lone season with the Ports, he went 1-7 with a 3.46 ERA in 13 games and eight starts with 25 strikeouts.

Stockton Ports Alumni Night - THIS 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! Tickets are limited so be sure to grab yours now!

BUY TICKETS

What's in Store This Week