PCL1 Fresno Grizzlies

LeBlanc Quiets Fresno In 10-0 Shutout

Published on July 8, 2011 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Fresno Grizzlies News Release


FRESNO- As hot as Fresno's offense has been lately, the bats were bound to cool off eventually. They just all happened to cool off in the same night. Tucson starter Wade LeBlanc stifled Fresno's offense over eight scoreless innings and the Padres hung 10 runs on Grizzlies pitching in a 10-0 shutout Friday night at Chukchansi Park.

That snapped a string of 10 straight games in which the Grizzlies (37-51) had scored at least five runs. It was the fourth time Fresno has been shut out this season and the second at home. On the other side of the ball, the Grizzlies needed little reminder of what these Padres can do. After all, it was only a couple of weeks ago that Tucson handed Fresno a four-game sweep in the Arizona desert.

Following an uneventful first inning, Matt Clark doubled to lead off the second and James Darnell followed with a shot to deep left, his second in three games since being promoted from Double-A San Antonio. One out later, Guillermo Quiroz cleared the bleachers in left with another home run, putting Tucson up 3-0.

The Padres (44-43) used the longball again to double their lead in the third inning. Everth Cabrera and Jarrett Hoffpauir led off with singles and Kyle Blanks followed with a towering drive off his own photo on the left-center field videoboard.

Tucson continued to add on against Banks, posting another three-spot in the fifth. With two on and two out, Aaron Cunningham, Quiroz and Cedric Hunter hit consecutive RBI singles to stretch the lead to nine runs. That closed the book on Banks, who matched a season high with nine runs allowed. He was the second Grizzlies starter in as many nights to allow 11 hits, matching the team high.

Banks was also touched up for three home runs for his second straight start, after Tacoma hit three in the first inning of his July 2nd start. The opposition has now combined for six homers in Banks' last 10.0 frames following a stretch in which the righty allowed just one over 41.1 innings of work.

The Grizzlies simply could not get anything going against the southpaw LeBlanc, who beat Fresno for the third time in as many starts this season. He allowed just four singles and a walk while striking out five over 8.0 innings of work and did not allow a runner past first base. After going 0-4 against the Grizzlies in his career prior to 2011, LeBlanc is 3-0 with a 1.23 ERA (3 ER/22.0 IP) against Fresno this year, improving to 8-1 overall.

The lone bright spot for Fresno came early, as Edgar Gonzalez hit a solid single with two outs and nobody on in the bottom of the first, extending his on-base streak to 42 games, the longest in professional baseball this year.

These teams will meet in the second game of this four-game set Friday night at Chukchansi Park with Tucson righty Sam Deduno (3-1) taking on Grizzlies southpaw Matt Yourkin (5-5) at 7:05pm.

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Pacific Coast League Stories from July 8, 2011


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