The Fresno Grizzlies (25-30) held the Tacoma Rainiers (31-22) to just two hits in the first inning for a 4-1 victory Friday night at Chukchansi Park. It's the Grizzlies fifth straight win, their longest win streak of the season.Both clubs traded a single run early, but a pitcher's duel dominated
The Fresno Grizzlies (25-30) held the Tacoma Rainiers (31-22) to just two hits in the first inning for a 4-1 victory Friday night at Chukchansi Park. It's the Grizzlies fifth straight win, their longest win streak of the season.
Both clubs traded a single run early, but a pitcher's duel dominated a majority of the contest. In the first for Tacoma, Zach Shank hit a RBI single to score Leonys Martin who singled to get on. For Fresno in the third, Juan Centeno knocked a RBI single to score Preston Tucker who was hit by a pitch to get on. The score remained 1-1 until the seventh.
Centeno's single extended his hit streak to 21 games, the 2017 Grizzlies-high. He has also hit safely in 24 of 26 games while batting .383 on the season with a home run, seven doubles, 13 RBI, eight runs scored and five walks in that span. Centeno is now chasing the longest overall Fresno hit streak, 32 games by infielder Dave Doster in 2004.
Grizzlies starter Casey Coleman got his first quality start of the season in his sixth start with the club. He tossed 96 pitches through six innings and allowed just one run on two hits and two walks with seven strikeouts. Kevin Comer (2-1) tossed two scoreless innings of relief with three punch-outs for the win. Jordan Jankowski picked up his fifth save of the season with two strikeouts in a scoreless ninth.
Two Fresno homers in the seventh broke the tie and put the Grizzlies up 4-1. Max Stassi led off the inning with a single up the middle and scored on Reid Brignac's fourth home run of the season. The two-run shot was hit to the batter's eye in center field. Jon Kemmer immediately followed by crushing a solo shot to left center for his sixth long ball of the season. It's just the second time this season that the Grizzlies have hit back-to-back home runs. The last occurrence was on May 8 at Colorado Springs by Derek Fisher and Stassi.
Tacoma Starter Chase De Jong (2-3) was charged with the loss after allowing four runs on six hits with six strikeouts through six innings pitched. The Fresno runs in the seventh were allowed to him. Not a single Grizz batter walked in the second consecutive game between the clubs.
The Grizzlies and the Rainiers play the third of a four-game series on Saturday at 7:05 p.m. Probable starters are RHP Cody Martin for Tacoma, making his season debut against Fresno RHP David Martinez (2-6, 6.22).
