Fresno Grizzlies Game Notes at San Jose
June 16, 2022 - California League (CalL)
Fresno Grizzlies News Release
The Grizzlies and Giants continue their six-game series tonight. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 pm PT from Excite Ballpark. Grizzlies RHP McCade Brown and Giants RHP Eric Silva are the probable starters. I have attached the roster/game notes.
MAGIC NUMBER IS TWO: The Grizzlies hold a six-game division lead over the San Jose Giants with seven games left in the first half. If Fresno holds on to win the first half, they will clinch a playoff berth for the second straight season since joining the California League.
HOW 2022 WILL LOOK IN THE "GROWL"IFORNIA LEAGUE: The 2022 California League regular season will be split into two halves. The first half ends on June 23rd with the second half beginning on June 24th. Four of the eight teams in the Single-A California League will make the playoffs. The first and second half division winners will meet in a best-of-three game series. The winners of those series will meet for a best-of-three championship series. Similar to 2021, each Monday will be a day off in the league except for July 4th. All but two series will be six-game series this season. The break for players and coaches will be four days long from July 18th to July 21st.
GIANT AMOUNT OF MATCHUPS: The Fresno Grizzlies and San Jose Giants (San Francisco Giants Single-A affiliate) continue their six-game series tonight at Excite Ballpark. This is the second series between the clubs in 2022 and the second meeting in San Jose. This season, the two clubs play 30 times against one another with 18 of those contests being held in San Jose. The clubs have split the first eight games this year with six runs coming as the largest margin of victory. Last season, the two clubs faced each other 33 total times with three of those games being held in the playoffs.
FROM FRIEND TO FOE: The San Jose Giants coaching staff have a few names that the Central Valley may recognize. Giants pitching coach Dan Runzler was drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the 9th round of the 2007 MLB June Amateur Draft. He would play for the Grizzlies from 2009-2014, appearing in 144 games. Runzler would then end up pitching in the major leagues for parts of five seasons (Giants 2009-2012, Pirates 2017) before playing overseas and in independent ball. Over 97 big league games, he had a 4-2 record with a 3.89 ERA, 82 strikeouts. 46 walks and 72 hits allowed in 76.1 innings pitched. The other coach and former Grizzlies player fans may remember is Giants hitting coach Travis Ishikawa. He was drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the 21st round of the 2002 Major League Baseball Draft out of Federal Way HS in Washington. Ishikawa would play eight Major League seasons starting in 2006 and ending in 2015 with time spent in San Francisco (2006, 2008-2010, 2014-2015), Milwaukee (2012), Baltimore (2013), New York AL (2013) and Pittsburgh (2014-15). Ishikawa would also don a Grizzlies uniform in 2008, 2011 and 2014, playing in 175 games. In 2008, Ishikawa would bat .310 with a 1.107 OPS over 48 games, one of the best stretches by any Fresno hitter.
FROM HOOSIER TO BEAR: Tonight, the Grizzlies will hand the ball to Rockies #29 prospect McCade Brown, who will make his seventh start in a Fresno uniform. The 2021 3rd-round draft pick joined the Grizzlies rotation on May 2nd after spending the first month of 2022 down in the Rockies Arizona complex. Brown started his professional career last summer with the ACL Rockies (rookie ball), appearing in four games (three starts). He hurled eight innings, allowing seven runs (six earned) while striking out nine. Brown was selected by the Rockies in the 3rd round of the 2021 MLB June Amateur Draft out of Indiana University. He spent three years with the Hoosiers and anchored the rotation for the first time in his final season. Brown made 12 starts and had a 5-4 record with a 3.39 ERA. He was an important piece of an Indiana pitching staff that finished No. 3 in the country in ERA and now looks to continue his success with the Grizzlies. Read more about Brown on Page 2.
SWWWWWWEEP: Two Fresno Grizzlies were awarded by Minor League Baseball for their outstanding performances last week against the Visalia Rawhide. Outfielder Yanquiel Fernandez received California League Player of the Week, while RHP Brayan Castillo was named Pitcher of the Week. This is the first time the Grizzlies have swept weekly awards since becoming a Rockies affiliate. In five games last week, Yanquiel Fernandez went 8-for-24 (.333/.407/.792) with three homers, two doubles, 14 RBI, six runs, three walks and a 1.199 OPS. Fernandez had multiple RBI in four of his five games, including two contests where he drove in a quartet of runs. One of those four RBI games came on June 7, where he mashed a grand slam. Fernandez is ranked as the Rockies #16 overall prospect on MLB.com and is just 19 years old. On Friday, June 10, Brayan Castillo was nearly untouchable over a career-high six shutout innings, earning his first win of 2022. Castillo permitted one hit and walk while fanning six. He issued a one-out walk in the third and gave up an infield single in the sixth, both courtesy of GJ Hill. Castillo finished his evening after 69 pitches (51 strikes) while facing one batter over the minimum. Castillo was signed by the Rockies in 2017 and has been Fresno's Friday night starter. Fernandez and Castillo are now the fifth and sixth Grizzlies players to earn California League Weekly honors (LHP Mason Green, May 23-29, RHP Victor Juarez, May 16-22, 1B/C Hunter Goodman, May 9-15 and SS Adael Amador, April 25 - May 1).
WEAR THE BEAR: Red (9-8), Beige (6-2), Black & Gold (8-1), Gray (14-7), Specialty Promo (1-2), Fresno Tacos (0-0), Lowriders de Fresno (Copa de la Diversion, 0-0), Fresno Growers (1-0), Fresno Tigers (0-0), Red Pants (2-2).
JUNE 17, 2022 @ SAN JOSE GIANTS (SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS): EXCITE BALLPARK- 6:30 PM PT
RHP Brayan Castillo (1-3, 4.79) vs RHP Keaton Winn (1-1, 5.02)
JUNE 18, 2022 @ SAN JOSE GIANTS (SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS): EXCITE BALLPARK- 6:00 PM PT
RHP Victor Juarez (4-0, 2.41) vs RHP Will Bednar (1-3, 4.19)
JUNE 19, 2022 @ SAN JOSE GIANTS (SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS): EXCITE BALLPARK- 1:00 PM PT
LHP Mason Green (5-1, 2.50) vs RHP Nick Sinacola (3-4, 4.14)
JUNE 21, 2022 VS. MODESTO NUTS (SEATTLE MARINERS): CHUKCHANSI PARK- 6:50 PM PT
TBA vs RHP Jarrod Cande (1-1, 2.57)
Recent Transactions:
6/11: INF Ben Sems:
Assigned to Fresno from A+ Spokane
California League Stories from June 16, 2022
- Rawhide Take Down Ports; Swales Earns First Win - Visalia Rawhide
- Fresno Grizzlies Game Notes at San Jose - Fresno Grizzlies
- San Jose Giants President and CEO Daniel Orum to Retire - San Jose Giants
- Strong Rawhide Pitching Silences Ports in Visalia - Stockton Ports
- Quakes Play Long-Ball in Wednesday Win - Rancho Cucamonga Quakes
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