Fired-up Fresno Grizzlies take opener in PCL playoff series

From extended pregame fireworks, to the frantic towel-waving fans, to starter Dan Straily’s surprising midgame fist pump, the Fresno Grizzlies’ return to playoff baseball generated plenty of enthusiasm and thrills Wednesday night.

No more “meaningless and mundane” baseball for this team from here on out.

Players, fans and all others caught up in the Grizzlies showed how much they cared about the Fresno franchise returning to the postseason for the first time in 17 years.

Straily, pitching through a blister, allowed just one run in six innings, escaping a bases-loaded jam in that final inning of work and the Grizzlies offense generated 12 hits in beating the El Paso Chihuahuas 9-1 at Chukchansi Park.

An announced crowd of 7,858 that included Pacific Coast League Commissioner Branch Rickey III and Fresno Mayor Ashley Swearengin saw the Grizzlies take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-five conference championship series.

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

“Definitely more urgency (Wednesday),” said Grizzlies outfielder Alex Presley, who went 4 for 5 with two doubles and an RBI. “It’s weird. It’s different. It’s probably the most unselfish baseball.

“There’s not stats that really matter. Just going out and playing to win the game more than anything. It’s when you play your best.”

All but one Grizzlies player recorded a hit as the top-scoring team during the Triple-A regular season picked right up in the playoffs, this time bruising El Paso ace Daniel McCutchen for five runs (though just one earned) on eight hits in four innings.

Leadoff hitter Tony Kemp added three RBIs, including a two-run double that ignited a four-run fourth inning. And No. 8 hitter Tyler Heineman finished 2 for 3 with two runs and an RBI.

The Grizzlies were aided by a costly fielding error by El Paso shortstop Ramiro Pena in the fourth. The Chihuahuas committed a league-worst 138 errors during the regular year.

“Game 1 for me is always big in the playoffs,” said Grizzlies manager Tony DeFrancesco, who has brought a team to the Triple-A postseason for the eighth time. “We want to try to get out of here 2-0. That was their ace. That’s who they were counting on.

“We scored some runs,” DeFrancesco added. “It’s always someone in this lineup. I’ve always said Presley is probably our most consistent player day in and day out. He has that veteran presence.”

Grizzlies right-hander Asher Wojciechowski (8-4, 4.92 ERA) gets the Game 2 start against Chihuahuas righty Chris Smith (5-7, 3.60).

Wojciechowski has made 14 of his 20 starts on the road. He’s 2-0 with a 4.64 ERA in six starts at Chukchansi Park but also owns a 7.71 ERA over three starts against El Paso.

Smith has gotten into a groove since August, going 3-2 with a 3.00 ERA in his past eight starts. But he’s struggled against the Grizzlies, owning a 6.53 ERA in the matchup.

“I feel good,” Wojciechowski said. “I’m excited to be out there and get the ball. Got to see the Fresno Grizzlies fans show up. It was a good atmosphere.

“Just a lot of fun. I’m looking forward to tomorrow.”

Straily came into the playoffs having allowed 21 runs in his past three starts. But he was dominant from the get-go and finished with six strikeouts.

“Just driving to the stadium, I started getting excited,” Straily said. “Once I touched the field, there was this extreme focus. The whole clubhouse was like that. Everyone turned it up a notch today.”

The lone run he allowed came via a solo homer by Will Middlebrooks in the fifth.

It was in that inning that Straily really began feeling a big blister that developed on the middle finger of his throwing hand.

Still, Straily took the mound in the sixth, then with one out proceeded to load the bases on three straight walks.

“It was throbbing pretty bad,” Straily said. “No excuses. They asked me if I could take the ball. I said I did.”

Straily managed to get El Paso’s top slugger, Cody Decker, who has 21 home runs, to foul out to third for the second out before fanning Jason Hagerty to end the threat.

As he stepped off the mound, knowing he was done for the night, Straily unleashed a forceful fist pump amid a loud round of applause.

“Honestly, that was probably the most emotion I’ve shown on a baseball field my whole life,” Straily said. “Luckily, I was able to put up another zero.”

By then, the Grizzlies also had an 8-1 lead and had knocked out McCutchen.

“But that was big for Straily to get out of there for us,” DeFrancesco said. “They get a big hit there, it could’ve changed the complexion of the game.

“He battled great for us.”

This story was originally published September 10, 2015 at 1:38 AM with the headline "Fired-up Fresno Grizzlies take opener in PCL playoff series."