Fresno knocks off Tacoma 13-5 in series finale

Wilmer Difo: 5-5, 5 RBI; Yadiel Hernandez: HR, 4 RBI

August 29, 2019

Fresno, California (Thursday, August 29) - The Fresno Grizzlies (61-75) defeated the Tacoma Rainiers (59-76) 13-5 Thursday evening from Chukchansi Park. Fresno won the four-game set and finished 7-9 against Tacoma this season. Paolo Espino (8-4) relished the victory after five innings of work. He struck out six. Mike Wright

Fresno, California (Thursday, August 29) - The Fresno Grizzlies (61-75) defeated the Tacoma Rainiers (59-76) 13-5 Thursday evening from Chukchansi Park. Fresno won the four-game set and finished 7-9 against Tacoma this season. Paolo Espino (8-4) relished the victory after five innings of work. He struck out six. Mike Wright Jr. (2-5) was tagged the loss after four frames. He allowed seven runs.
The Grizzlies notched 14 hits, giving them 34 in the past two contests. Wilmer Difo collected five of them. Difo was not retired, spanking a pair of doubles and a triple. He also drove in five runs, his first time reaching that feat this year. Yadiel Hernandez also had a big night, adding two hits. One of those hits left the yard, his club-high 32^nd of 2019. He remains third all-time in single-season homers, trailing A.J. Reed's mark by two. Hernandez mustered four RBI as well, his second straight affair doing so.
Luis Sardiñas poked a pair of hits, RBI and run. That extended Sardinas' hit streak to five games, the longest for him since joining Fresno. Alec Keller also had two hits and three runs. Keller's average is just a tick below .300. Joan Baez (hold) and Michael Blazek (save, 1) hurled two scoreless innings apiece.
Jaycob Brugman highlighted the Rainiers lineup with four RBI. He tallied one double. John Andreoli whacked a triple and scored once. The Grizzlies have four games remaining this season.
Top Performers: Fresno Grizzlies (Washington Nationals)
• 2B Wilmer Difo (5-5, 3B, 2 2B, 5 RBI, 3 R)
• DH Yadiel Hernandez (2-4, HR, 4 RBI, R)
• SS Luis Sardinas (2-3, 2 RBI, 2 R, BB)
• RF Alec Keller (2-4, 3 R)
Top Performers: Tacoma Rainiers (Seattle Mariners)
• DH Jaycob Brugman (1-4, 2B, 4 RBI)
• LF John Andreoli (1-2, 3B, RBI, R, 2 BB)
• RHP Dan Altavilla (1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K)
ON THAT FRES-NOTE: The 2017 Grizzlies' franchise record of 200 home runs is in peril; this year's club is ahead of the pace, tracking to hit 205 homers (199, four games left). While baseballs may be different this season, the 2017 PCL schedule was 142 games when Fresno led all of Minor League Baseball in home runs. The 2019 Grizzlies will play 140 games or fewer. Yadiel Hernandez (32) and Brandon Snyder (30) both rank in the top four of the single-season homer mark.