PCL1 Fresno Grizzlies

Grizzles Stunned By Sidewinders' Comeback

Published on June 3, 2008 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Fresno Grizzlies News Release


FRESNO, CA - In a game marred by four ejections for arguing balls and strikes, the Grizzlies watched a five-run lead dissappear in the late innings as Tucson won 7-6 in 10 innings at Chukchansi Park on Tuesday night. Fresno took a 5-0 lead into the eighth inning, but a pair of home runs helped the Sidewinders erase the deficit, and Robby Hammock's tenth-inning, two-run triple proved to be the difference.

The issues both teams had with home plate umpire John Coons began early. After Nate Schierholtz struck out on a called strike three to end the first inning, both he and Grizzlies' manager Dan Rohn were ejected for arguing balls and strikes.

In the second inning, Fresno got on the board first thanks to a likely source. After Scott McClain doubled to lead off the inning against Yusmeiro Petit, Brett Harper ripped a 1-1 pitch over the center-field wall for a 2-0 Grizzlies' lead. It was Harper's third consecutive game with a home run, and his fifth of the season.

Fresno added to their advantage in the fifth when Justin Leone led off the inning with a home run into the left-field bleachers, his11th of the year. The home team tacked on two more runs in the sixth on back-to-back RBI singles from McClain and Leone for a 5-0 lead.

Grizzlies starter Matt Palmer cruised through seven shutout innings, and came back to the mound for the 8th. After allowing a one-out single to Emilio Bonifacio, Palmer surrendered a two-out, two-run home run to Trot Nixon that cut the lead to three runs at 5-2. Palmer finished the inning, striking out six in a season-high eight innings of work, but would not factor into the decision.

Before the eighth was finished however, the Sidewinders found themselves down a man when one of the PCL's top hitters, Jamie D'Antona, was ejected for arguing balls and strikes with the home plate umpire, much like Rohn and Schierholtz earlier in the game.

The Sidewinders mounted their comeback in the ninth, beginning with Kevin Gryboski on the mound. The first batter of the inning, Josh Whitesell, led off the inning with his 13th round-tripper of the season, cutting Fresno's lead to two runs. After striking out Robby Hammock for the first out, Gryboski thought he had struck out Wilkin Castillo with an inside fastball that was instead called ball three. After composing himself behind the mound, Gryboski watched as Castillo fouled off two pitches before driving a fastball over the right-field wall. When Gryboski received another ball from Coons, he and the umpire got into a shouting match that resulted in Gryboski being ejected, the fourth of the game.

Julio Mateo was called upon from the bullpen, and immediately surrendered a double to the first batter he faced, Jesus Merchan. After getting Don Kelly to line out however, Emilio Bonifacio singled off the right-hander to score Merchan and tie the game at 5-5.

Bartolome Fortunato came on in the tenth inning and promptly walked the two of the first three batters he faced. With one out, Hammock tripled into the right-center field gap to score Nixon and Whitesell and give Tucson their first lead of the game at 7-5. In the bottom half of the inning, Eugenio Velez led off with a triple, and later scored on Ivan Ochoa's sacrifice fly, but that was as close as Fresno got, falling 7-6.

The Grizzlies and Sidewinders meet again on Tuesday in the finale of their four-game series. San Francisco Giants right-hander Kevin Correia makes a rehab start for the Grizzlies, and will be opposed by Tucson southpaw Evan MacLane. Game time is set for 7:05pm.

Check out the Fresno Grizzlies Statistics

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Pacific Coast League Stories from June 3, 2008


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