PCL1 Round Rock Express

Round Rock Express Fall to Fresno 10-5

Published on May 17, 2012 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Round Rock Express News Release


ROUND ROCK, Texas - Conor Gillaspie blasted a game-winning, two-run homer in the top of the seventh as the Fresno Grizzlies rallied past the Round Rock Express 10-5 in Thursday night's Pacific Coast League series opener at The Dell Diamond. The Express (17-23) have lost seven of their last eight and fell to 3-8 in series openers. The Grizzlies (27-13) improved to 12-4 on the road and own the league's best record both overall and on the road.

Julio Borbon's three-run homer in the bottom of the fourth gave the Express a 4-3 lead. It was Borbon's second homer of the game. Joey Butler added a solo shot in the fifth, but the Grizzlies responded with a run in the top of the sixth on Eli Whiteside's sacrifice fly. Justin Christian was hit by a pitch to leadoff the seventh, and Gillaspie followed with his fourth homer of the season.

Fresno tacked on four runs in the top of the ninth. Brock Bond had a bases-loaded RBI infield single. Two batters later, Linden cleared the bases with a three-run double.

Scott Munter (1-0), the first of four relievers for Fresno, picked up the win. He worked a perfect sixth - his lone inning of work - with two strikeouts. Mitch Lively, George Kontos and Heath Hembree each worked a scoreless inning the rest of the way. Starter Matt Yourkin surrendered five runs on eight hits and a walk over five innings with six strikeouts. Fresno pitchers retired 12 straight Express batters after Butler's fifth-inning homer before Luis Martinez doubled with one out in the ninth.

Mark Hamburger (0-1) was tagged with the loss in relief; he allowed three runs on three hits and a walk with one strikeout over three innings. Sean Green yielded three runs four runs on three hits and two walks with two strikeouts over two innings; all the damage came in the ninth after Green retired the side in order in the eighth with both strikeouts. Starter Michael Kirkman left after four innings, using 80 pitches; he allowed three runs on four hits and three walks with six strikeouts.

Borbon was homered twice with four RBI. It was the second multiple-homer game of his professional career; he also had two round-trippers Sept. 8, 2009, with the Rangers at Cleveland. It was his fourth career four-RBI game; the others were Sept. 10, 2010, with the Rangers against the New York Yankees, and May 7, 2008, with Class A-Advanced Bakersfield against Modesto.

Ryan Spilborghs pushed his hitting streak to 11 games, going 1-for-3; he has not been held hitless with the Express. Brad Nelson was 1-for-4 and extended his hitting streak to nine games, his third of at least that length. Martinez finished 2-for-4; his ninth-inning double kept alive Round Rock's streak of 40 consecutive games with a double. Yangervis Solarte was 2-for-4 and has hit safely in 26 of his last 27 games; however, he also committed two errors.

Linden was 3-for-5 with five RBI, also drilling a two-run double in the fourth. Gillaspie, Bond and Nick Noonan had two hits each.

Round Rock and Fresno continue their four-game series Friday with a 7:05 p.m. CDT first pitch at The Dell Diamond. Left-hander Zach Jackson (1-3, 3.64 ERA) is scheduled to start for the Express against Grizzlies' southpaw Brian Burres (1-3, 5.82 ERA).

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Pacific Coast League Stories from May 17, 2012


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