Petit outshines Wheeler in Fresno's 4-1 win
Fresno, Calif. - The pitching matchup was of note to all San Francisco Giants fans entering Tuesday night, but the side no one was paying attention outshined the other in end.
Fresno starting pitcher Yusmeiro Petit, once considered the Mets' second-best prospect back in 2005, outdueled the Giants' former first round pick Zack Wheeler in the Grizzlies' 4-1 win at Chukchansi Park.
Petit scattered eight hits over six innings, allowing just one run while striking out seven and walking none. Petit's lone mistake on the mound was a solo home run to Josh Satin in the second inning. Satin's home run made it 1-0.
Other than Satin's homer, no Las Vegas runner advanced past second base. In Petit's final inning of work, Andrew Brown led off the sixth frame with a single. Brown eventually reached second base on a wild pitch, but Petit locked in and ended any threat with back-to-back strikeouts to close out the inning.
The Grizzlies got to Wheeler in the bottom of the fourth with two outs. Jackson Williams worked a leadoff walk, but Petit struck out on a bunt foul ball. Kensuke Tanaka did the job, though, and moved Williams to second with a sacrifice bunt. Carter Jurica struck a ball into the right field corner for a double, plating Williams to tie the game at 1-1. Francisco Peguero followed Jurica with a soft liner to third baseman Brian Bixler, but Bixler could not handle it and extended the inning with an error. Back-to-back RBI hits from Roger Kieschnick and Todd Linden gave the Grizzlies their first lead, 3-1.
In the fourth inning, Tanaka hit a long single to the right-center field gap, driving in Williams to add to the Grizzlies' lead 4-1. Williams reached base with his second walk of the game and reached second on Wheeler's throwing error on Petit's sacrifice bunt attempt.
Wheeler took the loss after allowing four runs, only one of which was earned, in 5 1/3 innings pitched. He struck out six and walked three.
Heath Hembree closed out the game with a scoreless ninth inning. It was the right-hander's second save of the season. Steve Edlefsen and Jean Machi each contributed a scoreless inning out of the Fresno bullpen.
Williams finished the game going 1-for-2 with two walks and two runs scored. Tanaka and Jurica were the only Grizzlies hitters with multiple hits.
Game three of the four-game series is on Wednesday, April 10th at 7:05 pm. Right-hander Chris Heston of Fresno will oppose right-hander Chris Schwinden of Las Vegas.