Grizzlies fall to Las Vegas in 11

Las Vegas, Nv.--The Fresno Grizzlies (63-68) squandered a 7-0 lead as the Las Vegas 51's (73-57) came back to beat the visitors 8-7 in 11 innings on Wednesday night at Cashman Field.

Las Vegas left fielder Eric Campbell capped a three-RBI night with a single to right field, which concluded the 4:13 hour contest. Campbell (8) hit a two-run homer to left field in the seventh inning for his other tallies.

The Grizzlies jumped on the board scoring five times in third off Las Vegas right-handed starter Chris Schwinden.  The rally started on a single to left by Fresno starting pitcher Daryl Maday. The Grizzlies would later load the bases, and then right fielder Francisco Peguero would unload them on a double to left-center which made it 3-0 Fresno. It was his first hit with the bases loaded this year. On the very next pitch, catcher Johnny Monell (20) hit a two-run homer off the right field light pole , which gave Fresno a 5-0 advantage.

Fresno made it 5-0 scoring two more runs in the fifth on a single by Peguero, and an RBI single by third baseman Nick Noonan.

Maday in a spot start lasted four shutout innings. He issued two hits, and the right-hander fanned one. 

But Las Vegas scored a run in the fifth, added three runs in the sixth, the big hit of that inning was two-strike pinch single by Jamie Hoffmann. The 51s tallied twice in the seventh, and then tied the game on a homer by right fielder Kurt Nieuwenhuis (13) to right field in the eighth off Fresno right-hander George Kontos.

The Grizzlies had a chance to take the lead in the 11th but stranded the bases loaded. In the bottom of the 11th, first baseman Lucas Duda led off with a single to left off Fresno lefty Dan Runzler (3-7). Then Runzler tried to pick Duda off first but his throw sailed well over the head of Fresno first baseman Chris Dominguez, and down the right field side, and that placed Duda at third. After a walk to third baseman Zach Lutz, it was Campbell who singled home Duda on a 0-2 count. 

With the win, Las Vegas stays one game ahead in first place over Sacramento in the Pacific Coast League's Pacific Southern Division.

Game two of this scheduled five-game series will be on Thursday night at Cashman Field. Right-hander Justin Fitzgerald (2-5) will pitch for Fresno against Las Vegas righty Giancarlo Alvarado (4-4). The first pitch will be at 7:05.

GRIZZLIES PAWS:

Fresno is 7-7 in extra innings.

Right-handed reliever Steve Edlefsen is due to rejoin the Grizzlies on Thursday. He, and his wife Christine became parents for the first time to a baby boy named Sawyer Bradley.