STOCKTON, Calif. – Game three went to the Grizzlies 8-4 on Thursday night at Banner Island Ballpark, as the Ports came up a game short of matching their season long win streak, but still lead the series two games to one.
Fresno (9-9, 44-39) got the scoring started in the second with an RBI groundout from Cruzmel Arias and then a two-run homer (5) by Cam Nelson that just snuck out over the right field wall for a 3-0 Fresno advantage. They tacked on another run in the third inning on a mammoth, 449-foot solo shot (8) for Roldy Brito to deep left for a 4-0 Grizzlies lead.
The Ports (10-8, 37-47) got on the board in the bottom of the third by stringing together the three extra base hits they had on the night. Ben Newton doubled to left center before Michael Brooks lined a double over the leaping third baseman to make it a 4-1 game.
After a Nate Nankil single, Bobby Blandford doubled into left center to plate two more and cut it to a 4-3 game. Blandford tried to extend it into a triple, but pulled in standing up rather than sliding in at a higher speed and was thrown out.
In the fifth, Arias belted his first home run with the Grizzlies 368 feet into the front row of the Black Oak Casino Back Porch to put Fresno up 5-3. Cam Hassert launched his first Cal League dinger as well with no one out in the sixth, for a two-run blast 400 feet out to center to put Fresno up 7-3.
Nelson added an RBI single in the eighth to go up 8-3, before Shotaro Morii plated Max Durrington in the bottom of the inning for the 8-4 score. Stockton starter Alex Barr was ejected with one out in the fifth inning as the umpires deemed he intentionally hit Brito in his next at bat after his home run.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS: Stockton out hit Fresno 13-12, but the Grizzlies hit four home runs and four doubles to just three doubles for an 8-3 extra base hit advantage. That continued the pattern in the series as the team with less hits has gotten the win through the first three games.
Breyson Guedez had his on-base streak snapped at 18 games, but Edgar Montero extended his to 16 straight. Nate Nankil has four hits in two games in his return to Stockton, and Morii registered his fourth two-hit game as a Port.
UP NEXT: Game four is set for a 7:05 PM first pitch with another match up of lefties like game two, with LHP Brady Parker (4-3, 4.68) starting for Fresno versus LHP Corey Braun (3-3, 6.68) for Stockton, who has pitched well in his two starts since returning from the injured list.
Single game tickets, mini plans, and group outings are all on sale for the 2026 season. For more information, call the Ports front office at 209-644-1400 or email at info@stocktonports.com.