Lively takes no-hitter into 7th inning of Grizzlies' win
Tacoma, Wash. - Mitch Lively took a no-hitter into the seventh inning, but the right-hander did not factor into the decision of the Fresno Grizzlies' 2-1 win over the Tacoma Rainiers on Saturday at Cheney Stadium.
Lively allowed only one base runner in his first six innings pitched, a walk to the second batter he faced, but in the seventh frame, Brad Miller led off the inning with a single. Miller later advanced to third base on a stolen base and throwing error by Jackson Williams. One batter later, Kensuke Tanaka dropped a shallow fly ball in left field to allow Miller to score and erase the shutout.
The Grizzlies responded, though, in the next half inning beginning with a walk by Ydwin Villegas. Gary Brown followed up with an RBI double into left field that scored Villegas and tied the game at 1-1. After Brown advanced to third base on the throw during his double, Johnny Monell plated Brown with a pinch-hit single.
The hits by Brown and Monell each extended their respective hitting streaks. Brown has a hit in his last 13 games while Monell's hitting streak now sits at 11 games.
The win was the Grizzlies' 18th comeback win of the season.
Lively at one point retired 18 in a row, the most by a Fresno pitcher this season. He is the first Grizzlies hurler to take a no-hitter into the seventh inning since Tim Lincecum in 2007.
Tacoma starting pitcher James Paxton struck out a season-high 11 over six innings of his no-decision.
Logan Bawcom allowed the two Fresno runs in the eighth inning to suffer the loss for Tacoma.
Dan Runzler, who spelled Lively in the seventh inning, allowed two walks and a single to load the bases in the eighth inning. George Kontos came in to relieve Runzler, however, and he left the bases full after a strikeout and pop out to end the inning.
Kontos tossed a scoreless ninth inning to record his first save of the season with Fresno. The Grizzlies pitching staff combined to allow a season-low two hits.
One streak that did not survive tonight was Brett Pill's team-best 15-game hitting streak. Pill went 0-for-4 with a strikeout.
The Grizzlies and Rainiers will meet for game two of their scheduled four-game series on Sunday at 1:30 pm. Right-hander Chris Heston will start for the Grizzlies and face Erasmo Ramirez of Tacoma.