PCL1 Fresno Grizzlies

Taco-ma outlasts the Fresno Tacos on #TacoTuesday

Published on May 11, 2016 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Fresno Grizzlies News Release


Looking solely at the #FresnoTacos side of the box score on #TacoTuesday, it seems as if everything fell into place to start the homestand with a win. Nolan Fontana (three-run) and Tyler Heineman (solo shot) each smacked their first homers of the season, but unfortunately the Tacos squandered another quality start from Brady Rodgers, dropping a 7-6 extra-inning contest to the Tacoma Rainiers.

Dario Pizzano, who had three hits on the night, led off the third with a single and later scored on an Efren Navarro RBI knock. Tacoma made it a 3-0 lead an inning later, with four consecutive hits off Fresno starter Brady Rodgers; Pizzano drove in a run with a single and Boog Powell added a RBI fielder's choice.

The Tacos broke up the shutout in the fifth when Heineman went deep, sneaking around the right field foul pole and cutting the Tacoma lead to 3-1.

In his first start after his masterful 86-pitch complete game shut out May 4 at home against Reno, Rodgers returned to the mound at Chukchansi Park and went six innings, continuing to get the least run support of any regular Fresno starter. He scattered nine hits and allowed three earned runs in another quality start, with one walk and four strikeouts.

Tacoma added to their lead in the seventh, making it 4-1 on Navarro's second RBI single of the night in a three-hit inning.

Rainiers starter Cody Martin did not factor into the decision thanks to Fontana's seventh inning bomb, tossing six-plus innings, allowing six hits and two walks, all three runs earned. He struck out nine Tacos.

The Tacos rallied after the stretch. A.J. Reed led the half inning with an infield single, and pinch-runner Jon Kemmer scored from first on a gap double into left field by Matt Duffy (2-for-5), reducing the deficit to 4-2. After Jon Singleton walked and Andrew Aplin reached on a fielder's choice, Fontana (2-for-4) lifted a majestic homer over the wall in right off reliever Paul Fry, a three-run shot that surged Fresno in front 5-4.

When Tacoma plated two in the eighth to re-take the lead, it continued an unfortunate trend for Fresno allowing runs in the eighth inning. The Grizzlies/Tacos have now allowed 16 runs in the eighth in their last five games, and 31 eighth inning runs this season, or one per game at the moment. The eighth is Fresno's worst inning on defense by nine runs.

Fontana (2-for-4) continued his huge night and delivered a one-out RBI single in the bottom of the ninth to tie it 6-6, scoring Andrew Aplin after he reached thanks to a two-base error on a dropped pop-up on the mound. Fontana pieced together the fifth 4-RBI game for his club this season, joining Colin Moran, A.J. Reed, Jon Singleton and Danny Worth.

In the 10th however the Rainiers loaded the bases, and although Fresno was able to limit the damage to just a Boog Powell sacrifice fly, the 7-6 score would ultimately be the final.

Four consecutive losses equals a Grizzlies/Tacos season high, as Fresno dropped to 1-11 when the opponent scores first, and 11-3 when leading after seven innings. Tacoma's 14 hits tied a season season high allowed by Fresno this season.

The series resumes with a day game Tuesday; right-handers James Paxton (Tacoma, 4-2, 2.93) and Mike Hauschild (Fresno, 2-3, 4.55) will share the mound in a 12:05 p.m. start at Chukchansi Park.

Check out the Fresno Grizzlies Statistics

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Pacific Coast League Stories from May 11, 2016


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