Tucker lifts Tacos to series win

Scott Van Slyke hit two doubles and New Orleans Crawdaddys pitchers combined for 13 strikeouts, but it wasn't enough as they fell 5-1 to the Fresno Tacos in the series finale on Friday night.
The game was about the pitchers until Fresno opened it up in the eighth inning. The Tacos loaded the bases on a two-out walk by Garrett Stubbs. Kyle Tucker followed with his third hit of the night, a bases clearing double that pushed the road side's advantage to 5-1. James Hoyt finished out the game with a scoreless ninth for Fresno.
AJ Reed struck first for Fresno in the second inning when he blasted a solo shot, his 17th of the season. Starter, Zac Gallen (4-3) got out of trouble twice when he navigated around a two-out bases loaded jam in the third and fourth inning. Gallen's night ended after four innings with one run allowed on five hits and three walks. He posted six strikeouts in his time on the hill and stranded seven Tacos.
Fresno starter, Mike Hauschild (5-5) pulled some escape acts of his own in his outing. It started in the first inning when a hit and two walks with two outs loaded the bases. Hauschild recovered to induce a pop out to get out unscathed. Hauschild scattered seven hits over five scoreless innings. He allowed two walks and struck out four.
Jack Mayfield made the Fresno lead 2-0 in the top of the seventh with a two-out RBI single. On the play, Magneuris Sierra threw out Reed who tried to go from first to third. Hinging off that momentum, New Orleans got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the frame.
Austin Dean tripled into the gap in right-center and scored New Orleans' lone run of the series finale. Two batters later, Eric Campbell's RBI groundout brought in Dean to cut the Fresno lead to 2-1 after seven innings.
The strikeout total for New Orleans fell one shy of tying the season high, which was achieved against Round Rock on May 9. Dean added a three-hit night and went 6-for-13 in the series. Chris Diaz posted a multi-hit game, going 2-for-4 with a pair of singles.
The homestand continues Saturday when New Orleans welcomes the Sacramento River Cats to town for a four-game set. The opener begins with a first pitch scheduled for 6 p.m. Sandy Alcantara will start for New Orleans and Daniel Camarena is scheduled for Sacramento.