First place Fresno settles for series split in Omaha

The Fresno Grizzlies (65-45) settled for a series split with the Omaha Storm Chasers (50-58) on Tuesday, dropping a 9-1 matinee. For Fresno, it was just their third loss in their last 17 road games. Despite the setback, the Grizzlies will remain in first place by at least a game in the PCL's Pacific Northern Division.
The Storm Chasers jumped on Grizz starter Kent Emanuel early. Billy Burns led off the game with a triple, scoring on a Dean Anna RBI single. Corey Toups capped a five-run first with a grand slam; for Toups it was homers in consecutive games, and his fifth of the season (first grand slam).
Two more Omaha homers made the score 8-0 after two innings. Frank Schwindel (3-for-5) smacked his 12th of the season, a two-run shot, before Logan Moon (2-for-3) hit his fourth, a solo shot. Tony Kemp got Fresno on the board in the top of the third, lifting his career-high ninth home run of the season to right to lead off the inning, making the score 8-1. For Schwindel, it was his second straight game with three hits. 
Fresno left-hander Kent Emanuel (1-1) pitched five innings, surrendering eight (earned) runs on 11 hits. He walked three and struck out three. Omaha's Jake Junis (3-5) earned the win with six innings of three-hit ball, the only run allowed on the Kemp homer. Junis walked two, striking out five.
8-1 would hold until the home half of the sixth, when Cheslor Cuthbert homered to left field, his second long ball in Triple-A this season which rounded out the day's scoring. By pitching the final three innings, Pedro Fernandez picked up a save.
The Grizzlies are off on Wednesday, after they travel to Des Moines, Iowa. Their next series, four games at Principal Park against the Iowa Cubs, begins on Thursday with a 5:08 p.m. PT first pitch (7:08 CT). Probable starters are RHP Dean Deetz (3-3, 8.07) for Fresno and RHP Jen-Ho Tseng (4-0, 1.42) for Iowa.