The Fresno Grizzlies fell 4-2 to the Las Vegas 51s on Wednesday night in the third of a four-game set. The loss snapped an eight-game Fresno win streak where they have also won 11 straight games on the road. The Grizzlies are 20-4 since June 23 when they were 11
The Fresno Grizzlies fell 4-2 to the Las Vegas 51s on Wednesday night in the third of a four-game set. The loss snapped an eight-game Fresno win streak where they have also won 11 straight games on the road. The Grizzlies are 20-4 since June 23 when they were 11 games back from the Reno Aces for the division lead. With Reno dropping their contest Wednesday night as well, the Grizzlies remain just one game back.
The 51s took an early lead on a Dominic Smith (2-for-4) solo home run to left. His 13th homer of the season gave Las Vegas a 1-0 lead that would last through the first seven frames. Tyler Pill pitched seven scoreless innings for the 51s, allowing six hits and two walks with three strikeouts.
Fresno starter Trent Thornton allowed the one run on four hits through seven innings. He walked just one and struck out three in his longest outing of the season. Dayan Díaz (4-1) went on to suffer the loss in the eighth inning.
The Grizzlies took a 2-1 lead in the eighth when Teoscar Hernández hit his 11th home run of the season, a two-run bomb to left center. Tyler White walked to get on and scored to put the Grizzlies ahead. In the bottom of the frame, Smith racked up three more RBI when he cleared the bases with a double to put the 51s ahead for a 4-2 final.
Tony Kemp and Alejandro Garcia both extended their Grizzlies' hit streaks with a single in the game. Kemp's season-long 24-game streak trails Dave Doster for the longest all-time Fresno hit streak (32 games, 2004). Garcia's 11-game streak is the longest for him this season. Houston Astros prospect J.D. Davis went 2-for-4 in his Triple-A debut for the Grizzlies, racking up two singles. Davis is the all-time franchise leader in home runs for Double-A Corpus Christi with 44.
Las Vegas reliever Kevin McGowan (5-3) earned the win despite allowing the Hernandez home run in the eighth. Chasen Bradford picked up his 10th save of the season in a perfect ninth with one strikeout.
The Grizzlies and the 51s will close out the four-game series at Cashman Field on Thursday night at 7:05 p.m. RHP Kent Emanuel (0-0, 0.00) will make his first start of 2017 for Fresno after making his Triple-A debut in relief on July 15 at Tacoma to earn the save. Emanuel will face Las Vegas RHP Donovan Hand (2-3, 6.39).
