Grizzlies power past Redbirds 10-2 in series opener

The Fresno Grizzlies (17-25) defeated the Memphis Redbirds (26-16) 10-2 Friday night in the first of a four-game series. The win was just the second series opener win for the Grizzlies this season and their first at Chukchansi Park. The eight-run victory is tied for the largest this season for Fresno, last beating Las Vegas 12-4 on April 13.
Memphis got things started in the first inning to take a 1-0 lead. Nick Martini (2-for-five) led off the game with a double to right and scored on a Harrison Bader (4-for-4) RBI single.
The Grizzlies went ahead 3-1 in the bottom of the inning, a lead that would stick. Derek Fisher (2-for-3) scored on a Colin Moran (2-for-4) RBI single and Teoscar Hernández (2-for-4) scored on a wild pitch after he singled to get on and advanced. Moran was the third run to score on a Tyler White RBI double.
In the second, the Grizzlies increased their lead to 6-1. Reid Brignac and Andrew Aplin (2-for-3) singled to start the inning and Brignac scored on a Tony Kemp RBI ground out. Later, Fisher (fielder's choice) and Hernandez (single) scored again with Moran reaching on a throwing error.
The Redbirds got a run back in the fifth, the last run of the night for the visiting team. A bases loaded walk to Bader scored Luke Voit who also walked, making the score 6-2.
That was it for Fresno starter Mike Hauschild who allowed two runs on eight hits and five walks with three strikeouts through four and a third. He tossed 89 pitches. Kevin Comer (1-0) pitched a hitless and scoreless inning and two thirds in relief without a walk. He registered two strikeouts in his first win of the season and lowered his ERA to 0.44, leading the Fresno bullpen.
Fisher crushed a solo home run to right center for the Grizzlies in the seventh to make the score 7-2. His team leading 10^th homer of the season was also his second in back-to-back games. The seventh frame continued with Hernandez walking and scoring on an A.J. Reed (2-for-4) RBI single. The runs marked just the second and third time a Grizz has scored three times in a game. The first occurrence was on April 12 at Las Vegas when Brignac accomplished the feat.
Also in the seventh, Juan Centeno knocked a RBI double that scored Moran (single) to make the score 9-2. The double extended his hit streak to 16 games, one shy of Fisher's season-high. He has hit safely in 19 of 21 games while batting .368 on the season with a triple, seven doubles, nine RBI, six runs scored and four walks. The Grizzlies took a 10-2 lead when Reed scored on a Brignac RBI ground out prior to the end of the inning.
Redbirds starter Luke Weaver (3-1) went five innings and allowed six runs (four earned) on eight hits with six strikeouts. He did not allow a walk in his first loss of the season.
The Grizzlies and the Redbirds will play game two of a four-game series on Saturday at 7:05 p.m. LHP Marco Gonzales (0-0, 1.29) will be on the mound for Memphis and will face RHP Francis Martes (0-1, 5.68) for Fresno.