PCL1 Fresno Grizzlies

Three-Run Lead Vanishes in 4-3 Loss

Published on July 9, 2011 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Fresno Grizzlies News Release


FRESNO- Grizzlies pitchers wriggled in and out of jams all night, but the Tucson Padres finally made them pay. Aaron Cunningham's bases-loaded, two-out, two-run single proved to be the game-winning hit as Tucson beat Fresno for the second night in a row, 4-3, at Chukchansi Park Friday night.

Fresno (37-52) struck first, plating a run in its first at-bat. Justin Christian led off the game with a walk and took second on a wild pitch. He scored one out later as Conor Gillaspie pulled a ground ball just inside first base and into the Grizzlies bullpen for an RBI double, giving the home team a one-run lead.

The Grizzlies welcomed Tyler Graham and his speed back to the lineup, as both helped Fresno to a two-run third inning. After Christian led off with a double to left, Graham placed a perfect bunt down the third base line for a single, reaching without so much as a throw. With Gillaspie batting, Graham then took off and stole second, and Christian raced home safely to complete the double steal. Graham advanced to third on Gillaspie's groundout, which pulled the infield in for Brandon Belt. The slugger chopped a ball to the second baseman Logan Forsythe with Graham holding at third, appearing to be an unproductive out. But as soon as Forsythe turned to throw to first, Graham broke for the plate, diving in under the swipe tag of the catcher Guillermo Quiroz to make it 3-0.

That was enough to wake the Tucson bats as the Padres (45-43) opened the top of the fourth with three straight extra-base hits. Fresno native James Darnell led off with his second home run of the series, into the left field bleachers. Cunningham followed with a double down the line in left and Matt Clark hit a ball off the wall in right for an RBI two-bagger of his own. Yourkin settled down after that, though, getting two flyouts and a strikeout to preserve the lead.

Yourkin would work out of even bigger trouble in the fifth, as Everth Cabrera and Logan Forsythe singled in front of a Kyle Blanks walk to load the bases with nobody out. That set up the key play of the inning, as Yourkin got Darnell to pop to Brad Eldred in shallow right field for the first out. Eldred threw home, and though Cabrera held at third, Forsythe took off from second base, then stopped halfway. Grizzlies catcher Hector Sanchez threw behind Forsythe at second, prompting Cabrera to break for the plate, but Edgar Gonzalez's relay throw was on time and on target to complete the 9-2-6-2 double play. Yourkin then got Cunningham to ground out to Gillaspie to escape the inning unscathed.

But Tucson finally pushed ahead against the Fresno bullpen, putting together a two-out rally in the top of the seventh off Fresno reliever Steve Edlefsen. After two quick outs, Forsythe singled and Edlefsen (0-4) issued walks to Blanks and Darnell to load the bases for Cunningham. He chopped a two-strike pitch up the middle to score a pair, putting the Padres ahead for the first time at 4-3.

The Padres bullpen closed the game out, retiring the final 13 batters of the ballgame, six by strikeout. Brad Brach fanned one in a perfect ninth for his second save since his promotion from Double-A San Antonio.

The Grizzlies will send All-Star right-hander Andrew Kown (8-6) to the mound Saturday against Tucson righty Jon Leicester (4-3) at 7:05pm.

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Pacific Coast League Stories from July 9, 2011


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