PORTS: The Ports’ pitching continued its outstanding run. But even strong performances from starter Kyle Finnegan and reliever Lou Trivino weren’t quite enough against the Nuts on Thursday.
Modesto starter Kyle Freeland retired 14 of the first 15 batters he faced and lasted seven innings, and Johendi Jiminian and Matt Carasiti did the rest, as the Nuts shut out the Ports 1-0 in front of 2,011 fans at John Thurman Field.
Stockton (59-57 overall, 21-25 second half) opens a six-game homestand at 7:10 p.m. today against Visalia. San Jose comes to Stockton for three games beginning Monday.
In their last five games, the Ports have surrendered a total of four runs and are 4-1 in that stretch.
The game’s only run came in the first inning on Michael Benjamin’s home run, his ninth this season. From there, Freeland gave up only one more hit, struck out five and walked none before he left after five innings. Trivino gave up three hits with no walks and four strikeouts in three innings.
Melvin Mercedes’ double with two outs in the third was Stockton’s first hit. But he was stranded when Freeland retired Brett Vertigan on a ground ball to second base. Mercedes doubled again with one out in the sixth, but Vertigan flied out to right field and Tyler Ladendorf popped out in foul ground near first base to end the threat.
In the ninth, Vertigan led off with a single, but Ladendorf grounded into a double play, the last of four in the game by the Ports. Yairo Munoz singled to keep Stockton alive, but Jacob Nottingham struck out swinging to end the game.
Stockton is in last place in the Cal League North in the second half. Modesto (60-56, 27-19) is a game behind Visalia in the second-half standings.
