Fresno defeats Iowa 8-1 in series opener

Kemp goes 3-for-5, Kemmer blasts 2-run homer

August 3, 2017

The Fresno Grizzlies (66-45) defeated the Iowa Cubs (50-58) 8-1 in the series opener of a four-game set on Thursday night at Principal Park. Two of the eight Fresno runs came from a home run. It was the Grizzlies' Minor League Baseball-leading 173^rd homer of the season. Only the Houston Astros have more (175) to lead all of professional baseball.
Following four complete scoreless frames, a 10-batter fifth inning gave the Grizzlies a 6-0 lead. Drew Ferguson started the inning with a walk and scored on Tony Kemp's (3-for-5) third hit of the game, a RBI single. It was Kemp's club-leading 42^nd multi-hit game. After Alejandro Garcia reached on an error, he then scored on a Jack Mayfield (2-for-5) RBI single. Kemp and Mayfield eventually came around to score on a Preston Tucker two-run double to make the score 4-0. It was Tucker's team-leading 80^th RBI.
The top of the fifth continued for the Grizzlies when Tucker scored on a J.D. Davis (2-for-3) sacrifice fly. That was it for Iowa starter Jen-Ho Tseng (4-1) who went on to suffer the loss in 4.2 IP. He allowed the runs on six hits and two walks with four strikeouts. Fresno tacked on a final run in the frame to make the score 6-0 when Reid Brignac (2-for-5) hit a RBI single that scored Jon Kemmer after he had reached on an error.
Fresno starter Dean Deetz tossed 4.1 scoreless innings before reliever Kevin Comer (5-3) took the hill for the win. Deetz allowed just three hits and five walks with six strikeouts. Comer allowed the one Iowa run in the sixth when Elliot Soto knocked a RBI single to score Jacob Hannemann who walked to get on.
The Grizzlies completed the scoring in the seventh when Kemmer crushed a two-run home run to make the final score 8-1. Davis had doubled to get on before scoring on Kemmer's 16^th long ball of the season.
The lone series of the season between the clubs continues on Friday night. First pitch is set for 5:08 p.m. PT at Principal Park. Probable starters are RHP Mike Hauschild (5-1, 4.60) for Fresno and RHP Aaron Brooks (5-8, 6.11) for Iowa.