The Fresno Grizzlies (61-43) are once again tied for first in the Pacific North Division. A 6-4 win over the New Orleans Baby Cakes (40-63) on Wednesday night at Chukchasi Park coupled with a Reno Aces loss did the trick. Jack Mayfield homered in his second straight contest to win
The Fresno Grizzlies (61-43) are once again tied for first in the Pacific North Division. A 6-4 win over the New Orleans Baby Cakes (40-63) on Wednesday night at Chukchasi Park coupled with a Reno Aces loss did the trick. Jack Mayfield homered in his second straight contest to win the game for Fresno in the eighth. The Grizzlies are now 49-1 when leading after the eighth inning.
Tony Kemp led off the game for the home team with a solo home run to right, his eighth of the season. Three straight singles followed before J.D. Davis hit a sacrifice fly that scored Max Stassi (single). Preston Tucker (single) then scored on a Reid Brignac RBI single to give the Grizzlies a 3-0 lead. With a base hit in the opening frame, A.J. Reed is on a nine-game hit streak, the longest of his Triple-A career so far.
The Baby Cakes scored one run in each of the next four innings to go ahead 4-3. In the second, Christian Colón his his first home run of the season, a solo shot to left. Chad Hinshaw followed with another solo homer to left in the third for his third of the season. In the fourth, a Brian Anderson RBI single scored Brandon Barnes who doubled to get on. The final New Orleans run was scored when Moisés Sierra hit a RBI triple that brought home Steve Lombardozzi who doubled to get on.
The Grizzlies tied the contest 4-4 in the bottom of the eighth on Davis' second RBI of the game. He doubled to score Jon Kemmer who pinch ran for Reed after walking to get on. Mayfield then crushed a two-run homer to left to put Fresno ahead 6-4 for the win. It was his third long ball at the Triple-A level to give him 17 total home runs on the season.
Grizzlies starter Kent Emanuel struck out four through 4.2 innings without allowing a walk. He allowed the four New Orleans runs on seven hits. Brendan McCurry (4-0) tossed a scoreless eighth inning of relief for the win while Jordan Jankowski picked up his ninth save of the season with two strikeouts in the ninth.
New Orleans starter Justin Nicolino allowed three runs on five hits and a walk with five strikeouts through six innings. Reliever Brandon Cunniff (2-3) suffered the loss allowing the final three runs on three hits and a walk with four strikeouts through the final two frames.
Fresno and New Orleans will play the third game of the series on Thursday night. Probable starters are RHP William Cuevas (1-3, 3.46) for the Baby Cakes and RHP Dean Deetz (3-3, 7.71) for the Grizzlies. First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m.
