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Kemmer homers to cap five-hit night

Astros prospect falls triple shy of cycle, raises average to .340
Jon Kemmer is 7-for-9 with four runs scored in his last two games, boosting his average 90 points. (Stephen Smith/Four Seam Images)
April 30, 2017

With four hits already under his belt, Jon Kemmer saved his best for last. The Astros prospect jumped on a 3-2 offering from Reno reliever Erik Davis in the ninth inning Saturday and deposited it over the wall in center field to cap a 5-for-5 night in Triple-A Fresno's 6-2 win over

With four hits already under his belt, Jon Kemmer saved his best for last. 
The Astros prospect jumped on a 3-2 offering from Reno reliever Erik Davis in the ninth inning Saturday and deposited it over the wall in center field to cap a 5-for-5 night in Triple-A Fresno's 6-2 win over the Aces at Greater Nevada Field. 

"I wasn't aware that I was working on a five-hit night until my buddy, A.J. Reed, joked with me by saying, 'You won't get that fifth hit," Kemmer said. "I kind of took that as a challenge, so it was a kind of a relief when I did it, especially because I was hoping that first home run would come eventually."
Kemmer, who was hitting in the two-hole for the first time this season, started his night with a single to left in the first. Two innings later, the 26-year-old battled with D-backs top prospect Anthony Banda for eight pitches before sending the ninth to center for another knock. He worked the count full again in his next at-bat, this time against reliever Brian Matusz, with Kemmer coming out on top with his third single. 
Box score
"I've always been kind of aggressive early in the zone," the right fielder said. "And lately, I've been working really hard with the staff on staying convinced with my approach of taking advantage of good pitches to hit early and then battling late in the count. And that paid off tonight."
With the game tied, 1-1, heading into the eighth, Kemmer kick-started the Grizzlies with a leadoff double to center. He scored the go-ahead run on a fielder's choice. 
"The pitching staff kept us in the game to that point," the 2013 21st-round pick said. "I was seeing the ball really well and just wanted to do my part in helping the team get the win, and it felt nice to help get that run across and get things started for the pitchers tonight." 
After Kemmer crossed the plate, he was left to his own thoughts for the rest of the four-run inning. 
"It's one of those things like how you don't talk to a pitcher when he's working on a no-hitter. It was one of those days where I was locked in and the team kind of just left me alone," he explained. 
Kemmer boosted his slash line to .340/.397/.491 with a homer and eight RBIs in 16 games. He's always shown a knack for getting on base in his career and sports a .357 OBP in 396 Minor League games.

Fresno catcher Max Stassi raised his average to .302 with four hits, adding a pair of RBIs. Jordan Jankowski (1-1) worked a clean seventh with a pair of strikeouts to get the win after Grizzlies starter Trent Thornton allowed one run on three hits in six innings. 
D-backs No. 30 prospect Christian Walker hit his seventh homer of the season for Reno. Banda yielded a run on four hits and two walks while striking out five in four innings. Grant Sides (0-1) was touched for four runs -- three earned -- in one inning.

Michael Leboff is a contributor to MiLB.com.