The Fresno Grizzlies (76-65) fell 10-8 to the Salt Lake Bees (72-69) on Sunday night at Smith's Ballpark. With two-RBI in the contest, A.J. Reed has achieved the ninth 100-RBI season in Grizzlies history. The most recent 100-RBI season was Matt Duffy with 104 in 2015, also the most RBI
The Fresno Grizzlies (76-65) fell 10-8 to the Salt Lake Bees (72-69) on Sunday night at Smith's Ballpark. With two-RBI in the contest, A.J. Reed has achieved the ninth 100-RBI season in Grizzlies history. The most recent 100-RBI season was Matt Duffy with 104 in 2015, also the most RBI by a Houston Astros-affiliated player.
The Grizzlies were on the board first in the opening frame when Rico Noel (2-for-4) led off with a double and scored on a Colin Walsh RBI triple. A Preston Tucker sacrifice fly then brought home Walsh for the 2-0 lead. The Bees tied the contest 2-2 quickly in the bottom of the first when David Fletcher (3-for-5) scored on an error after a leadoff single and Shane Robinson (3-for-5) scored on a Rey Navarro sacrifice fly after he singled to get on.
Salt Lake took a 4-2 lead in the second when Dustin Ackley (2-for-2) reached on a base hit and scored on a Fletcher bunt single before Sherman Johnson (2-for-3) singled to get on and scored on a Michael Hermosillo RBI double. The home team's lead increased to 7-2 in the fourth. Robinson drove home two more with a double before he scored on another Navarro sacrifice fly.
Fresno was able to cut the Salt Lake lead in the fifth with two more RBI from Tucker. A base hit to left scored Noel who reached on a fielder's choice and Walsh who walked to get on. Then in the sixth, Noel drilled a RBI triple to center that scored Josh Rojas who reached on a fielder's choice to make the score 7-5. The sixth continued when Reed tied the game 7-7 with a two-run double to left that scored Noel and Walsh who walked.
The Bees broke the tie in the bottom of the seventh when Zach Houchins (2-for-5) tripled and scored on a passed ball. Fresno would re-tie the contest 8-8 with a Garrett Stubbs (2-for-5) RBI single in the top of the ninth that scored Drew Ferguson who reached on an error. Salt Lake made the final score 10-8 on an Ackley walk-off two-run homer to right, his sixth home run of the season.
Grizzlies starter Kent Emanuel allowed seven runs (four earned) on 11 hits and two walks. He did not strike out a batter through three innings and a third. Brendan McCurry (4-2) suffered the loss allowing the home run with no outs in the ninth. For Salt Lake, starter Jaime Barria went 4.2 IP allowing four runs on five hits and three walks with four strikeouts. Reliever Brooks Pounders (2-2) earned the win in the ninth.
The four-game series finale against the Bees is on Sunday at 11:05 a.m. PT. Probable starters in the Grizzlies' final game of 2017 is RHP Cy Sneed (1-1, 9.82) for Fresno and RHP Daniel Wright (6-10, 6.99) for Salt Lake.
