Miscues cost Fresno in 6-5 walk-off loss to Stockton

Stockton, CA (Wednesday, April 17) – The Fresno Grizzlies (6-3) were walked-off on by the Stockton Ports (3-6) 6-5 Wednesday night from Banner Island Ballpark. The Grizzlies fell to 62-24 all-time against the Ports with a 31-7 record at Banner Island Ballpark. Fresno suffered their first road loss of the year.

Stockton grabbed a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the second thanks to a pair of hits and two Fresno errors. Luke Mann and Darlyn Montero waltzed home after a fielder’s choice and miscue by Grizzlies starter Bryan Perez. A Cole Conn RBI single supplied the other run.

In the top of the third, Braylen Wimmer cut the deficit to 3-2 after blasting a towering drive to right-center field. The two-run bomb was his third longball of the season. Fresno clawed ahead in the fifth after netting two runs. Andy Perez plated Wimmer with a triple down the right field line, his second three-bagger of the year. Both Wimmer and Perez finished with multi-hit evenings with the latter extending his hit streak to nine games. That is tied for the longest hit streak by Perez in a Grizzlies uniform. Perez scampered home on a Jake Snider sacrifice fly. In the eighth, EJ Andrews Jr. provided an insurance homer to left-center field, his first wallop of 2024.

Despite the 5-3 disadvantage, the Ports did not go away quietly. Stockton loaded the bases in both the seventh and ninth frames (five walks and one double), coming through in their last-at bats. A bases-loaded walk to Myles Naylor made it 5-4 Fresno. Then a batter later, Mann roped a single to right, scoring two runs and giving the Ports a 6-5 walk-off win.

Grizzlies’ righty Perez hurled four innings of three-run ball (one earned), allowing a trio of hits and no walks while knotting a career-high with seven punchouts. Albert Pacheco fanned three batters over two and two-thirds hitless and scoreless frames. Tyler Hoffman issued three walks before departing the game. Collin Baumgartner saved Hoffman with a big punchout to end the threat and tallied three strikeouts overall in his relief outing (1.1 innings). Sam Weatherly (1-1) agonized the defeat after allowing three walks and a double. Bryson Hammer permitted the game-winning single. The Grizzlies’ pitching staff concluded the contest with a season-high 14 strikeouts. Fresno has struck out double-digit batters in eight of their first nine games this season (10, 5x, 11, 13 and 14). Overall, Grizzlies arms have fanned 93 total batters in 2024.

Ports’ starter Chen Zhong-Ao Zhuang lasted two and one-third innings before being lifted for the bullpen. Reliever Alejandro Manzano (1-1) was the recipient of the victory after dazzling for four innings. Manzano’s lone blemish was the Andrews Jr. clout, as he fanned six batters en route to the walk-off triumph. The clubs are back to battle tomorrow night at 7:05 pm PT from Stockton.

Top Performers: Fresno Grizzlies (Colorado Rockies)

• 3B Braylen Wimmer (2-4, HR, 2 RBI, 2 R)
• SS Andy Perez (2-4, 3B, RBI, R)
• RF EJ Andrews Jr. (1-4, HR, RBI, R)

Top Performers: Stockton Ports (Oakland Athletics)

• 3B Luke Mann (3-4, 3B, 2 RBI, R, HBP)
• C Cole Conn (2-4, 2B, RBI, R, BB)
• RHP Alejandro Manzano (4.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 6 K; Win)

On Deck:

Thursday, April 18, 2024 at 7:05 pm PT Fresno Grizzlies at Stockton Ports

Fresno LHP Austin Emener (0-0, 1.93) vs. Stockton RHP Jackson Finley (0-1, 3.00)

On That Fres-Note:

Grizzlies RHP Collin Baumgartner has appeared in four games this season out of the bullpen. Baumgartner is 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA. In five and two-thirds shutout frames, he has allowed one hit and one walk while punching out 10.