Grizzlies Report for July 8: Fresno 4, Sacramento 1

Wednesday recap: It took three starts but Grizzlies RH Mark Appel finally had a clean outing in Triple-A. The No. 1 overall pick by the Houston Astros in the 2013 draft went 6.2 scoreless innings as the Grizzlies beat Sacramento 4-1. Appel had allowed 10 total runs in his first two Triple-A starts, but against the River Cats was able to scatter six hits and two walks while striking out four. He was removed after 100 pitches (67 for strikes). Domingo Santana, Tyler White and Andrew Aplin each had two hits and an RBI. Fresno cleanup hitter Matt Duffy went 2 for 4 with two runs. Sacramento’s Nos. 4-9 hitters combined to churn just two hits, including an 0-for-4 outing from cleanup hitter and former Grizzly Adam Duvall. The River Cats didn’t score until Kelby Tomlinson hit a two-out RBI single in the ninth.

Grizzlies on Thursday: Fresno RH Asher Wojciechowski (5-1, 4.32 ERA) will try to get back on track after giving up five runs in each of his past two starts, with a combined 17 hits. He’ll face a Sacramento team that he limited to one run and five hits over seven innings June 16. River Cats RH Clayton Blackburn (3-3, 4.17) has allowed no more than two earned runs in eight of his past nine starts. First pitch is 7:05 p.m. at Raley Field.

Back to the bigs: Lefty Brett Oberholtzer, who has split time with the Grizzlies and Houston Astros, was recalled by the major league parent club and scheduled to start Thursday at Cleveland. In seven big league starts this year, he is 2-1 with a 4.32 ERA.

Stat of the day: 9 — consecutive game hitting streak for Grizzlies catcher Tyler Heineman after a 2-for-4 night Tuesday aganst Tacoma. A switch hitter in his first season at Triple-A, Heineman is 13 for 33 with five runs and five RBIs during the streak while consistently putting the ball in play. He has walked only once but also struck out just twice. Overall, he was hitting .326 in 95 at-bats.

This story was originally published July 8, 2015 at 10:12 PM with the headline "Grizzlies Report for July 8: Fresno 4, Sacramento 1."