Heart of Fresno Grizzlies order has wreaked havoc in 2015

They come at pitchers in back-to-back-to-back fashion, with the heart of the Fresno Grizzlies lineup providing plenty of stress as each hitter steps to the plate.

Designated hitter Tyler White, first baseman Jon Singleton and third baseman Matt Duffy form the most lethal No. 3-5 combination in the Triple-A playoffs.

And it’s not even close.

“I don’t think I’ve seen a better combination any way you mix it up,” Grizzlies manager Tony DeFrancesco said. “Each guy can square up the ball and hit it far. They know how to work the count in their favor.

“They’re a big reason for our success.”

Back in the playoffs for the first time in 17 years, the Grizzlies beat El Paso 9-1 on Wednesday night in front of 7,858 on hand at Chukchansi Park for the opener of a first-round Pacific Coast League series.

The middle of the order played a mostly supportive role, with Duffy walking and scoring to make it 1-0 in the second and White capping a four-run fourth with an RBI single to back Dan Straily’s six strong innings on the mound.

Fresno hosts Game 2 at 7:05 p.m. Thursday.

The right-handed-hitting Duffy, batting fifth for the series opener, is coming off a regular season in which he was named PCL MVP. The 26-year-old hit .294 with 20 homers, a league-leading 94 runs and a second-best 104 RBIs.

“Duffy has come a long way in his career this year,” DeFrancesco said. “He’s always hit everywhere he’s been at. This year, he’s become more of a selective hitter, driving the ball, getting more RBIs.”

The lefty-hitting Singleton, who hit cleanup, has amassed a team-best 22 home runs to go with 72 runs and 83 RBIs while hitting .254. And Singleton, 23, produced those numbers despite missing roughly a month while in the majors with major league parent club Houston.

Singleton’s on-base-plus-slugging percentage of .865 leads the team and ranks 12th in the PCL.

“Anyone who’s been to a game here knows Singy can change the game with one swing,” Duffy said. “He’s got great raw power, some of the best raw power you’ll see.

“He can hit it out at any time.”

Perhaps the biggest surprise in the Grizzlies’ success, which included a franchise-record 84 victories, has been the steady production of the right-handed-hitting White.

The winner of the Double-A home run derby this season, White, 24, hasn’t flashed his long-ball stroke often. But he’s more than made up for it with consistent gap power, especially in the clutch.

Between Double A and Triple A combined, White is hitting .325 with 14 home runs, 70 runs and 99 RBIs.

With the Grizzlies for 57 of his 116 games, White has hit .362 with seven homers, 37 runs and 59 RBIs – helping the team compensate for the Astros’ midseason trade of outfielder Domingo Santana.

“It seems like Tyler can put the barrel on any pitch,” Singleton said. “He’s a professional hitter, hits for power and average and gets on base a lot.”

Added DeFrancesco: “No doubt he was the guy. He came in from Double A, just a newcomer to the organization, and he’s just kept hitting at every level.”

This story was originally published September 9, 2015 at 7:52 PM with the headline "Heart of Fresno Grizzlies order has wreaked havoc in 2015."