Bassitt & Jefferies Dominate while Rivas & Eierman Provide All the Offense Ports Need on Opening Night

by Ethan Kassel / A’s Farm Stockton Contributor

STOCKTON — Chris Bassitt was ruthless in his rehab outing and Daulton Jefferies’ return to the mound was seamless as the Stockton Ports won their opener, beating the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes by a score of 4-1 on Thursday night.

A two-run double by first baseman Alfonso Rivas and second baseman Jeremy Eierman’s ensuing two-run homer provided all of the offense the Ports would need as they struck for four runs in the first inning off Quakes starter Leo Crawford. Eierman appeared to swing early on his homer and just caught the pitch off the end of the bat, but the ball still managed to carry out to the bullpen in left-center.

“I don’t know how that got out,” Eierman said following the game.

Bassitt retired all nine hitters he faced, striking out seven by mixing in a curveball that induced a number of comical swings and misses by Quakes batters. Jefferies, who underwent Tommy John surgery in 2017, took over in the fourth and struck out four while allowing just one baserunner on a harmless single by Quakes designated hitter Jeter Downs.

Jared Poche took over in the seventh for Stockton, and though he issued three walks in 2 1/3 innings, he too was able to hold down the fort, getting left fielder Donovan Casey to line out with two men on to end the seventh.

Rancho Cucamonga finally managed to get on the board in the eighth with the help of a throwing error by shortstop Nick Allen. But the wild throw came on a grounder that the shortstop tracked down deep in the hole on his backhand side. Poche recovered by striking out center fielder Jeren Kendall and then getting Downs to line out to Allen to end the threat.

The Quakes presented one last threat in the ninth as Poche walked the leadoff batter and Eierman then dropped a pop-up to put two men on base. Poche struck out shortstop Deacon Liput looking and then turned it over to Trey Cochran-Gill, who got the final two Quakes batters to ground out to secure the save for Stockton.

Center fielder Austin Beck went 0 for 4 with four strikeouts to earn the golden sombrero in his California League debut, but his middle two at-bats both featured ringing foul balls and disciplined takes on close pitches before ultimately striking out. Left fielder Lazaro Armenteros doubled on a pop-up to no-man’s land in his first at-bat, walked his second time up and struck out twice, including with the bases loaded to end the eighth inning.

After putting up meager offensive numbers in Beloit last year, Allen walked three times and stung a fly ball in the bottom of the sixth that Casey managed to track down in the gap. Allen even demonstrated impressive range on his error, reaching a ball in the hole that most Cal League shortstops would have no chance at. Rivas impressed at the plate with his opposite-field double for two runs on a deep liner to left. He also looked confident and in command in the field, taking a grounder for a safe out at first base rather than trying to make a risky play for one of the lead runners in the ninth.

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