Grizz drop third straight to 'Topes on Wednesday in ABQ

Albuquerque, NM (Wednesday, July 17) - A pair of three-run homers in consecutive innings helped the Albuquerque Isotopes (43-54) defeat the Fresno Grizzlies (48-49) by 9-4 final on Wednesday evening. The Grizzlies have dropped three consecutive games to open the series, and will try to avoid being swept for the first time this season in Thursday's 11:05 PT series finale. Albuquerque has won four in a row and six of their last seven.
Major League veteran Yonder Alonso homered for the first time as an Isotope in the fifth, erasing a 4-2 Fresno lead with a three-run shot. Sam Hilliard extended ABQ's lead to 8-4 with his 27^th homer of the season in the sixth. Defending PCL MVP Josh Fuentes also chipped in his second homer in as many nights for Albuquerque, a solo shot in the fourth.
Fresno's offense was paced by leadoff man Andrew Stevenson, who extended a hit streak to nine outings with a game-beginning double and his second solo homer of the series (sixth HR of the season) in the third. Carter Kieboom extended his hit streak to six games with a three-hit night, while Yadiel Hernandez drove in a pair of runs with a sac fly in the first which scored Stevenson, and an RBI double in the third which scored Kieboom.
Top Performers: Fresno Grizzlies (Washington Nationals)
• CF Andrew Stevenson (2-5, solo HR, 2B, 2 R)
• RF Yadiel Hernandez (sac fly, 2B, 2 RBI)
• 3B Carter Kieboom (3-5, R)
Top Performers: Albuquerque Isotopes (Colorado Rockies)
• RF Sam Hilliard (3-5, HR, 2B, 3 RBI, 2 R)
• 1B Yonder Alonso (2-3, HR, 3B, 3 RBI, BB)
• 3B Josh Fuentes (2-3, solo HR, 2 BB)
• CF Yonathan Daza (2-4, 2 R)
ON THAT FRES-NOTE: Wednesday's loss dropped the Grizzlies under .500 for the first time since they were 34-35 following a home win over Omaha on June 16. Fresno has not swept or been swept in a series of any length this season.