The Fresno Grizzlies (13-17) lost 19-7 to the Colorado Springs Sky Sox (17-8) Saturday night in the opener of a four-game series at Security Service Field. The Grizzlies led the contest 1-0 in the first with Jon Kemmer's (2-for-5) third home run of the season. The solo shot was crushed
The Fresno Grizzlies (13-17) lost 19-7 to the Colorado Springs Sky Sox (17-8) Saturday night in the opener of a four-game series at Security Service Field. The Grizzlies led the contest 1-0 in the first with Jon Kemmer's (2-for-5) third home run of the season. The solo shot was crushed to left to give Fresno the early lead. Colorado Springs responded with 18 runs through the first four innings.
The Sky Sox drove in four in the bottom of the first to make the score 4-1. Garrett Cooper (3-for-6) and Ivan De Jesus (4-for-6) both knocked bases loaded singles and a RBI single from Yadiel Rivera (3-for-5) did the early damage. The runs continued to cross the plate in the second with Ryan Cordell (2-for-4) hitting his fifth home run of the season to left. The three-run shot made the score 7-1.
After two more runs scored in the third for the Sky Sox, they increased the Grizzlies' deficit with nine additional runs in a 12-batter fourth. Brett Phillips belted his sixth homer of the season to right center, a two-run shot, while De Jesus and Cordell drove in runs to give themselves four-RBI nights. Nate Orf knocked a two-run single while Kirk Nieuwenhuis (2-for-4) and former Grizz Tyler Heineman (3-for-4) both hit RBI doubles to contribute to the 18-1 lead.
Following a rain delay that lasted an hour and 55 minutes between the fourth and fifth innings, the Grizzlies tacked on three to cut Colorado Springs' lead to 18-4. Max Stassi (2-for-3) led off the fifth with a walk followed by an Andrew Aplin (2-for-3) double and a Jack Mayfield double that drove them home. Mayfield then scored on a Derek Fisher (2-for-5) RBI single that extended his hit streak to 11 games, tying the existing season-high set by Preston Tucker (April 9 - April 20).
Fresno made the score 18-7 in the sixth when Stassi doubled to score A.J. Reed who walked to get on and then scored himself on an Aplin RBI single. With his second double on the night, Stassi has hit two doubles in each of his last two games. Tony Kemp drove home Aplin with a groundout to end the scoring for the Grizzlies.
For Colorado Springs, De Jesus knocked his fifth RBI of the night with a double in the home half of the sixth to make the final score 19-7. Starter Paolo Espino pitched the four innings prior to the rain and allowed one run on two hits and a walk with five strikeouts. Tim Dillard (1-0) earned the win for the Sky Sox in the final three innings without allowing a run on two hits and a walk with a strikeout.
Mike Hauschild (0-1) made it through three for the Grizzlies in his second Triple-A start of the season after allowing nine runs on eight hits and six walks with a strikeout. Keegan Yuhl and Sean Stutzman combined to allow nine runs on eight hits and two walks without a strikeout in the fourth. Stutzman continued through two thirds of the sixth. Aplin made his third relief appearance of the season in the eighth.
The Grizzlies and the Sky Sox meet for the second game of a four-game series on Sunday at 12:30 PT. RHP Edison Frias (1-2, 5.40) will be on the mound for Fresno and RHP Brandon Woodruff (4-0, 2.22) will get the start for Colorado Springs.
