Home Opener A Winning One For Grizzlies

Fresno, Calif. - Andrew Kown allowed only one run in 6 1/3 innings, leading the Fresno Grizzlies to a 6-1 win over the Tacoma Rainiers on Friday at Chukchansi Park. The win, in wet conditions from the day full of rain, improves the Grizzlies' record to 7-2, the best start to a season by any Grizzlies team in franchise history.

Kown picked up his second win in the longest outing by a Grizzlies starter so far this season. The 6 1/3 innings bested the previous high of six innings last set by Eric Hacker last night.

The Grizzlies offense provided plenty of run support for Kown. Fresno jumped out to a 5-0 lead through the first three innings with the help of a pair of two-out extra-base hits. Charlie Culberson doubled to left-center with two outs in the first, plating Brock Bond and Roger Kieschnick.

In the third, Todd Linden stepped up to the plate with two outs and the bases loaded. Linden, making his return to Fresno in a Grizzlies uniform, laced a triple to the right field corner, clearing the bases and making it 5-0.

The Rainiers scored their only run in the fifth. Leadoff hitter Adam Moore hit a double and was advanced to the third base on a groundout by Chih-Hsien Chiang. Johan Limonta scored Moore with a sacrifice fly to center.

The Grizzlies would go on to match the run in the bottom half of the same inning. Joaquin Arias drove in his 12th run of the season with a double to left-center and scoring Culberson.

The Fresno relieving corps of Matt Yourkin and George Kontos preserved the Grizzlies win with a combined 2 2/3 innings of shutout baseball. Yourkin allowed one hit in 1 2/3 innings and struck out one.

Tacoma starter Forrest Snow was tagged with the loss after allowing five runs (all earned) in 3.0 innings pitched.

The two teams will continue their current four-game set on Saturday, April 14th. Tacoma's Anthony Vasquez (1-0, 1.29) will oppose Yusmeiro Petit (1-0, 3.00) of Fresno for the 7:05 pm game.