Early Hole Spells Trouble as Ports Fall to Grizzlies
Fresno, CA – The Fresno Grizzlies scored five runs in the bottom of the third inning and never looked back as the Ports saw their three-game winning streak come to an end with a 10-2 loss on Thursday night at Chukchansi Park. The Grizzlies (22-20) opened the scoring in the
Fresno, CA – The Fresno Grizzlies scored five runs in the bottom of the third inning and never looked back as the Ports saw their three-game winning streak come to an end with a 10-2 loss on Thursday night at Chukchansi Park.
The Grizzlies (22-20) opened the scoring in the bottom of the second inning against Ports starter Eduardo Rivera. Jake Snider led off with an infield single and after stealing second and third, scored on a wild pitch to make it 1-0.
The five-run bottom of the third for Fresno began with a four-pitch walk of leadoff man EJ Andrews, Jr. After a ground out moved the runner to second base, Ryan Ritter launched a two-run homer to right center off Rivera to give the Grizzlies a 3-0 lead. Bryant Betancourt then greeted new Stockton pitcher Charlie Cerny with a single to left, and after a two-out walk to Snider put runners on first and second Kody Huff lined a double to the gap in right center to score Betancourt making it 4-0. Huff and Snider scored when the next hitter, Luis Mendez, lined a single to left center to extend the Fresno lead to 6-0.
The Ports (14-28) got a run back in the top of the fourth. With runners on first and seconde and two outs, Jose Mujica grounded a single up the middle to score Brennan Milone from second base making it 6-1.
The Grizzlies, however, got two more runs in the fourth on a two-run single by Ryan Ritter to make it 8-1 and another in the top of the sixth when Andy Perez clubbed his first homer of the season to start the inning. In the seventh, Huff scored from third base on a balk by Stockton reliever TJ Czyz to make it 10-1.
The Ports got their second run when Milone hit a solo home run to right center with one out in the top of the eighth off Fresno reliever Zach Agnos, but the Ports were unable to muster any more offense as Tyler Hoffman struck out the side in the top of the ninth to end the ballgame.
Grizzlies starter Michael Prosecky (3-2) got the win allowing a run on three hits with five strikeouts in five innings despite walking four batters. Rivera (0-1) took the loss in his Ports debut allowing three runs on two hits with four strikeouts over 2.1 innings.
Winners of two of the first three games of the series, the Ports will look to bounce back in game four at Chukchansi Park on Friday night. First pitch is scheduled for 6:50 pm.