Ports Close Season With 13-5 Romp in San Jose

San Jose, CA – The Ports tallied a season-high 17 hits and never looked back after a four-run top of the first inning as Stockton rolled to a 13-5 victory over the San Jose Giants in the 2023 season finale on Sunday afternoon at Excite Ballpark.

With the win the Ports earned a series split and finished the season with a record of 50-82, their first time reaching the 50-win plateau since 2019.

The Ports used the longball to take a 4-0 lead in the top of the first inning. With one out and nobody on Will Simpson launched a solo home run to left center off San Jose starter Dylan Cumming to give Stockton a 1-0 lead. After a walk and hit by pitch to put runners on first and second, Myles Naylor hit a long home run to center field giving the Ports a four-run lead in the top of the first inning.

After the Giants got a run in the fourth to make it 4-1, the Ports put the game away with a big fifth inning. Jonah Cox and Simpson started the inning with back-to-back infield singles, but Simpson was thrown out at second base on a double steal. After Bolte walked to put runners on the corners, Jose Mujica lifted a sacrifice fly to left to score Cox from third base making it 5-1. A Naylor single put runners on first and second for Yeniel Laboy who grounded a single into right field to score Bolte from second base extending the Stockton lead to 6-1. Angel Arevalo reached on an error by San Jose third baseman Charlie Szykowny that scored Naylor from third and advanced runners to second and third. Bjay Cooke then followed with a single up the middle to score Laboy and Arevalo to blow the game open giving the Ports a 9-1 advantage.

Stockton kept pouring it on in the sxith inning. Cox was hit by a pitch and moved to second on a one-out single by Bolte. After a passed ball advanced the runners to second and third, Mujica reached on an error by Szykowny allowing Cox to score to make it 10-1. Bolte scored on a passed ball and Naylor singled to put runners on the corners for Laboy who lined a single to left center to score Mujica making it 12-1.

Naylor drove in another with a single in the eighth inning to extend the Stockton lead to 13-1. The Ports’ shortstop went 4-for-5 with 4 RBIs in the season finale.

The Giants scored four runs (one earned) in the bottom of the eighth inning against Ports reliever Charlie Ceryny on two walks, a hit and an error to make it 13-5.

Cerny pitched around an error and a walk in a scoreless ninth to finish the ballgame.

Stockton reliever Dallas Woolfolk (1-3) got the win with three hitless innings walking three and striking out three. Cumming (7-3) took the loss for San Jose surrendering four runs on three hits with four strikeouts in two innings.

With the win the Ports’ season comes to an end with a record of 50-82. Thank you, Ports fans, for an incredible 2023! For 2024 season tickets and ticket plans be sure to follow the Ports on Facebook, Instagram and X. We can’t wait to see everyone at the ballpark again in April!