Fresno overwhelms Stockton 9-4 as Wimmer, Snider and Kaminska lead the way 

Stockton, CA (Sunday, May 19) – The Fresno Grizzlies (22-16) cruised past the Stockton Ports (14-23) 9-4 Sunday afternoon from Banner Island Ballpark. The Grizzlies improved to 71-25 all-time against the Ports (10-2 record this season) with a 40-8 all-time record (10-2 this year) at Banner Island Ballpark. Fresno moved to 6-0 in day games on the road, 8-0 on Saturdays/Sundays away from home and 13-1 when scoring first on the road. The Grizzlies are now just 2.5 games back in the California League North Division Standings after the Modesto Nuts dropped five of their six contests to the San Jose Giants.

The Grizzlies offense recorded nine runs on a season-high 15 hits, six walks and one hit-by-pitch. 10 of the 11 Fresno batters reached base safely at least once with five different starters notching multi-hit affairs. The Grizzlies plated seven of their nine runs in the first two innings, bringing 10 batters to the dish in the second. Braylen Wimmer led the charge with a trio of hits, including a two-RBI double and three runs scored. Jake Snider also provided three hits, with one landing for a double. The birthday man poked a two-RBI single right after the Wimmer knock and raced home a batter later. Both Wimmer and Snider swiped a base, while also extending their hit streaks to six and seven games (top two active hit streaks on the club). Caleb Hobson, Felix Tena and Aidan Longwell all whacked two hits with the latter of the trio swatting his first triple of the season.

The offensive explosion backed another sensational outing from Fresno righty Jace Kaminska (3-1, win). Kaminska twirled another six shutout frames, permitting three hits and one walk while fanning five. He lowered his California League-best ERA to 1.26 and WHIP to 0.87. Kaminska has chucked 18 straight scoreless innings (spanning three starts), allowing 12 hits and four walks while striking out 18. A quartet of arms finished off the final three frames with Braden Carmichael whiffing a pair in his appearance.

The Ports lineup scattered seven hits, supplying three of their four runs in the ninth. A wild pitch in the bottom of the seventh netted Luke Mann. In the bottom of the ninth, Robert Puason worked a bases-loaded walk, Cole Conn lifted a sacrifice fly to deep center and Nelson Beltran spanked a single to right. Beltran and T.J. Schofield-Sam logged two hits apiece in the setback. Stockton starter Steven Echavarria (0-1) took the loss after being tagged for seven runs over two innings of action. Four relievers followed Echavarria, pooling together for 12 strikeouts. Fresno begins a six-game series against the Visalia Rawhide Tuesday morning from Chukchansi Park.

Top Performers: Fresno Grizzlies (Colorado Rockies)

• SS Braylen Wimmer (3-4, 2B, 2 RBI, 3 R, SB)
• DH Jake Snider (3-4, 2B, 2 RBI, R, SB)
• RHP Jace Kaminska (6.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 K)

Top Performers: Stockton Ports (Oakland Athletics)

• RF Nelson Beltran (2-5, RBI)
• DH Cole Conn (1-4, 2B, RBI)
• SS Luke Mann (1-4, 2B, R)

On Deck:

Tuesday, May 21, 2024 at 11:05 am PT Visalia Rawhide at Fresno Grizzlies

Visalia TBD vs. Fresno LHP Albert Pacheco (1-1, 2.73)

On That Fres-Note:

GJ Hill drew three walks, tying the most by a Grizzlies batter in a game this season. Hill will face his old club in Visalia next week.