Rodriguez rocks two homers but Fresno falls 12-6 to Modesto

Fresno, CA (Thursday, May 5) – The Fresno Grizzlies (14-10) were overpowered by the Modesto Nuts (12-12) 12-6 Thursday evening from Chukchansi Park. The clubs combined for 26 hits, seven homers, six walks and 16 strikeouts.

Modesto plated eight of their 12 runs in the third. Victor Labrada roped a double to right field to open the scoring. Then, Edwin Arroyo and Robert Perez smashed back-to-back homers, both deep shots. Arroyo’s fourth dinger of 2022 went to right while Perez’s six clout of the year landed in deep left field. Finally, Walking Cabrera whacked a three-run wallop to left, making it 8-0.

Fresno got on the board when Zach Kokoska rounded the bases on two errors, one via fielding and one from a throw. The Nuts extended the lead in the fifth to 9-1 after Perez went deep for a second time. In the bottom of the fifth, Warming Bernabel cut the deficit to 9-3 after rocking a two-RBI double to left-center. A few batters later, Juan Guerrero blooped a single to center, adding another Grizzlies run.

Jonatan Clase expanded the advantage to 10-4 in the sixth when he powered a solo tater to right field. In the bottom half of the sixth, Aiverson Rodriguez hammered a pitch to center, his first round-tripper of the season. After a groundout made it 11-5 Nuts, Rodriguez thrashed his second big fly of the night. He became the third Fresno batter this year to homer twice in a game (Hunter Goodman and Adael Amador). Finally, Arroyo concluded the offensive outburst with a single in the ninth.

Grizzlies starter McCade Brown (0-1) was tagged the decision in his debut. The Indiana product fanned a trio of batters over three frames. Tyler Ras and Jarrod Cande (also made debut) both punched out three after five pooled innings. Bryce McGowan hurled the last frame, producing one strikeout. Nuts righty Jimmy Joyce lasted four innings, allowing one unearned run. Yeury Tatiz (1-0) secured the victory after a quartet of frames. Andrew Moore rounded out the Modesto triumph in the ninth. The squads are back in action tomorrow for Star Wars Night.

Top Performers: Fresno Grizzlies (Colorado Rockies)

• 2B Aiverson Rodriguez (2-3, 2 HR, 2 RBI, 2 R, BB)

• 3B Warming Bernabel (1-4, 2B, 2 RBI, R, BB, CS)

• CF Braiden Ward (2-4, R, HBP, SB)

• LF Juan Guerrero (3-5, RBI)

Top Performers: Modesto Nuts (Seattle Mariners)

• 1B Robert Perez (2-5, 2 HR, 2 RBI, 2 R)

• SS Edwin Arroyo (2-5, HR, 3 RBI, R)

• RF Walking Cabrera (2-4, HR, 3 RBI, R)

• CF Jonatan Clase (1-4, HR, RBI, 2 R, BB)

On Deck:

Friday, May 6 vs. Modesto Nuts, Modesto RHP Joseph Hernandez (2-0, 1.89) vs. Fresno RHP Brayan Castillo (0-1, 4.50), 6:50 pm PT

ON THAT FRES-NOTE:

Juan Guerrero (3), Braiden Ward (2) and Aiverson Rodriguez (2) all relished multi-hit games while eight of the nine Grizzlies starters had at least one hit.