The Fresno Grizzlies (17-26) fell 4-2 to the Memphis Redbirds (27-16) Saturday night in front of a crowd of 10,974 at Chukchansi Park. The largest crowd of the season surpassed Opening Day by 596.The Redbirds took an early 2-0 lead in the second on a Patrick Wisdom two-run homer off
The Fresno Grizzlies (17-26) fell 4-2 to the Memphis Redbirds (27-16) Saturday night in front of a crowd of 10,974 at Chukchansi Park. The largest crowd of the season surpassed Opening Day by 596.
The Redbirds took an early 2-0 lead in the second on a Patrick Wisdom two-run homer off the batter's eye. Paul DeJong (2-for-4) singled to get on and scored on Wisdom's eighth home run of the season.
In the sixth, DeJong hit a homer of his own to make the score 3-0. The solo shot was hit deep to left for his ninth long ball of the season. Memphis increased their lead to 4-0 in the seventh when Carson Kelly doubled and scored on a wild pitch.
The Grizzlies cut the Redbirds lead to 4-2 in the eighth on Colin Moran's (2-for-4) sixth home run of the season. The two-run bomb was crushed 415 feet to right and scored Derek Fisher who was hit by a pitch to get on.
Fresno starter Francis Martes (0-2) pitched five innings in his sixth start of the season. He allowed two runs on two hits and four walks on 87 pitches. His seven strikeouts are tied for a personal and team season-high. Fresno pitchers combined for 14 punch-outs in the game, a new 2017-high, surpassing the 12 recorded on May 12 at Oklahoma City.
Grizzlies reliever Jordan Jankowski tossed a perfect eighth with two strikeouts to not allow an earned run in 15 of his first 17 appearances. With 22 strikeouts in 19 innings pitched, he has improved his ERA to 1.42.
Memphis starter Marco Gonzales (1-0) did not allow a run on four hits and a walk with four strikeouts through six and a third for the win. Reliever Ryan Sherriff earned his third save of the season in a perfect ninth with one strikeout.
The Grizzlies and the Redbirds will play the third of a four-game series on Sunday at 1:05 p.m. RHP Arturo Reyes (5-1, 3.00) will be on the hill for Memphis to face RHP Casey Coleman (1-2, 7.63) who will get the start for Fresno.
