Round Rock Barley Avoids No-Hitter in 6-1 Loss to Fresno

ROUND ROCK, Texas - The Round Rock Express (30-38) were nearly held hitless by Fresno Grizzlies (41-27) starter RHP Trent Thornton (5-4, 2.88) in a 6-1 loss on Saturday night at Dell Diamond. The Grizzlies hurler was lights-out in 8.0 innings on the mound as he allowed just three Round Rock batters to reach base on a hit and two walks.
With Thornton carrying a no-hitter with two outs in the bottom of the eighth, the E-Train offense finally broke through on a groundball single to right field by SS Nick Noonan . Noonan, ironically enough, played in just under 300 games for Fresno from 2011-2014 after the San Francisco Giants selected him with the 32nd pick of the 2007 MLB Draft.
Round Rock RHP Adrian Sampson (3-3, 6.64) tossed 4.0 innings in his fifth start of the season, holding the Grizzlies bats to one run on four hits while picking up a pair of strikeouts. Over his three appearances as starter for the E-Train the 26-year-old has pitched a total of 15.0 innings, running a 3.60 ERA and a 12-2 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
The sole run off Sampson came in the top of the third when the Grizzlies opened a 1-0 lead. Fresno DH Garrett Stubbs led off the frame by beating Express 1B Tommy Joseph to the bag on a bang-bang play at first base. Grizzlies CF Myles Straw then recorded his first-career Triple-A hit on a double down the right field line to put runners at second and third. The next batter, LF Kyle Tucker , lofted a sacrifice fly into center field to put Fresno on the board.
In the top of the fifth, Round Rock RHP Deck McGuire made his Express debut out of the bullpen after carrying a 3.22 ERA in 44.2 innings pitched with the Buffalo Bisons, Triple-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays.
Unfortunately for McGuire, his first appearance in a Round Rock uniform was short-lived as he was roughed up for five earned runs over 1.2 frames in the fifth and sixth. The Grizzlies offense combined to walk four times against the right-hander while collecting five base hits, including a solo shot by 2B Jack Mayfield .
Working with a 6-0 advantage, Thornton maintained a perfect game until the bottom of the sixth when Express C Tony Sanchez drew a leadoff walk. After retiring the next two batters on just three pitches, Thornton would receive some help from his center fielder, Straw, who made a spectacular sliding play on a sinking line drive off the bat of rehabbing Texas Rangers SS Elvis Andrus .
Andrus hit leadoff and manned the shortstop position for the E-Train through all nine innings, going 0-4 at the plate as he continues to work his way back from a right elbow fracture suffered in mid-April. Although he finished the night without producing a hit, Andrus made hard contact in three of his four at-bats while making the first Triple-A appearance of his 13-year professional career.
Both teams will re-brand for game two of the series tomorrow afternoon at Dell Diamond as part of MiLB's Copa de la Diversion campaign. The Fresno Tacos will send RHP Rogelio Armenteros (4-0, 3.63) to face Round Rock Chupacabras LHP David Hurlbut (2-5, 5.54). First pitch is set for 1:05 p.m. CDT.
For more information on the Express, visit RoundRockExpress.com or call (512) 255-2255. Keep up with the Express on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter!

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