Tucker's trifecta leads Grizzlies' outburst

Triple-A Fresno's offensive eruption can be laid out in eye-popping numbers -- a season-high 23 runs on a season-high 21 hits, 11 extra-base knocks, 49 total at-bats, a 12-for-18 team line with runners in scoring position, five multi-hit batters, five multi-RBI performers, the largest margin of victory in franchise history, a host of personal records and more.

But Preston Tucker encapsulated it much more succinctly.

"It was crazy, man."

Tucker hammered three home runs for the first time and drove in a career-high eight runs and top Astros prospect Alex Bregman made his Pacific Coast League debut with a 4-for-5 flourish as the Grizzlies crushed Salt Lake, 23-3, at Smith's Ballpark.

"Hitting's contagious," Tucker said after his first five-hit night. "We did face some good pitching. It just seemed like everything was clicking, and everyone kind of fed off each other's energy. We'd get guys on and drive them in every chance we got, so I think everyone just did their job and did their part. We didn't stop."

Tucker lit the fuse when he clocked a two-run homer to right-center field in the top of the first inning, plating Bregman after the shortstop notched a one-out single for his first Triple-A hit.

After being held off the board in the second, the Grizzlies blasted off in the third with Bregman and Tucker again leading the way. Houston's 2015 first-round pick lofted a one-out RBI double to left and Tucker followed two batters later with another two-run shot to right.

Bregman and Tucker each added RBI singles in Fresno's six-run fourth, and Bregman smacked an RBI double to center in the seven-run fifth. The onslaught was unlike anything Fresno had put together in 2016. The club surpassed previous season highs in runs and hits (18) -- both set in a 15-10 win on April 8 at Las Vegas -- by the end of the sixth. The Grizzlies batted around in back-to-back innings in the fourth and fifth. Tucker hit with runners on base in all six of his at-bats.

"It puts a lot of pressure on the pitcher knowing that he's in a tough spot when I get up there," he said. "I think it leads to a lot of mistake pitches."

Bregman and Houston's No. 24 prospect Teoscar Hernandez, who also made his debut at the level, combined to go 8-for-11 with a homer, a triple, two doubles, seven runs scored and six RBIs. Hernandez matched a personal mark with four hits and was a double short of the cycle.

"I was impressed with Bregman and [Teoscar] Hernandez coming up and both really showing out in their first game," Tucker said. "I think that complemented our lineup a ton. The top of our lineup is one of the more dangerous lineups I've been a part of."

Bregman and Tucker each scored five times, tying a Grizzlies' single-game record last set by L.J. Hoes on May 13, 2015 at Albuquerque.

MLB.com's No. 18 overall prospect was retired just once, with a strikeout in the sixth. Bregman finished his day with a walk in the eighth and came home on Tucker's third two-run homer of the game to right.

"[Kyle] Kendrick's been in the big leagues for a while," Tucker said of the Bees starter he victimized for his first two dingers. "I got a chance to face him last year in Colorado, and he's a smart pitcher. I think it forced me to stay balanced and stay within myself and be patient, and I had positive results. I saw him well both times I faced him, and I think it rolled over into the later at-bats in the game."

It was a more than impressive Triple-A debut for Bregman. The LSU product set personal marks with four hits and five runs and made a strong impression on his new teammates in his first game up from Double-A Corpus Christi.

"I got a chance to meet him in Spring Training and watch him play and spend some time with him, so I had an idea of his game, but I hadn't seen him playing every day," Tucker said. "Once he got hot, we brought him up, and he didn't really miss a beat. I'm sure he impressed the coaching staff and all the players here. I think it's going to be fun, him solidifying the two-hole or wherever they want to put him."

The Grizzlies also got stellar showings on the mound from starter Brady Rodgers, who allowed a run over five innings, and relievers Jordan Jankowski, Jandel Gustave and Josh Fields. While Fresno scored 19 times between the third and sixth, Salt Lake didn't scratch across a single run.

"Rebound runs can really kill confidence for a team, and the fact that Brady -- even though we had a big lead -- he stayed focused and got those big outs and got us back in the dugout, that led to some big innings," Tucker said. "We put up a lot of crooked numbers. Having all those zeros for them in between those big innings was a big part of that."

Fresno's victory was its biggest ever and came against a familiar foe. The Grizzlies' previous largest margin in a win was 17 runs, set twice against Salt Lake in a 17-0 win on June 14, 2015 and a 19-2 drubbing on June 20, 2005.