Grizzlies done in by one bad inning, as El Paso wins to extend playoff series

With their backs against the wall, the El Paso Chihuahuas took a bite out of the Fresno Grizzlies’ two-game lead in the Pacific Coast League’s Pacific Conference series, pulling out a 6-4 victory Friday night in front of 9,305 fans at Southwest University Park.

The Chihuahuas rallied to score six runs in the bottom of the fifth via five hits, three walks, one error and a hit-by-pitch to erase a four-run Fresno lead and keep the Grizzlies from winning a postseason series for the first time in franchise history.

Fresno starter Mark Appel gave up just two hits and stuck out five through the first four innings but couldn’t silence the Chihuahuas in the fifth, issuing two walks and giving up two singles to start the inning. A fielding error by first baseman Jon Singleton gave El Paso its first run and Appel was relieved by Travis Ballew with one out and runners on the corners.

Ballew couldn’t stem the rally, serving up back-to-back singles by Hunter Renfroe and Ramiro Pena that cut the Grizzlies’ lead to one and led to Ballew getting pulled for Chris Cotton.

Cotton, in his first postseason appearance for Fresno, then gave up a towering, go-ahead double to Jake Goebbert and intentionally walked Rymer Liriano. In came right-hander Jake Buchanan to close the inning, but not before drilling Cody Decker in the helmet with a fastball and the bases loaded to bring in another run.

In all, El Paso sent 13 batters to the plate and faced four different Grizzlies pitchers in the six-run inning.

“We tried to get (Appel) out of trouble, but our guys made a few mistakes over the plate,” Grizzlies manager Tony DeFrancesco said.

DeFrancesco wasn’t disappointed, however, pointing out Ballew and Cotton saw their first postseason action with the team since arriving from Double-A Corpus Christi and most of the Grizzlies’ bullpen is rested for Game 4. Grizzlies left-hander Brett Oberholtzer (7-4, 3.86 ERA) is scheduled to face right-hander Casey Kelly (1-2, 6.32) at 6:05 p.m.

“They got a chance to get their feet wet,” DeFrancesco said. “It’s a good playoff atmosphere (in El Paso). It’s good for these guys to feel it and I’ve gotten everyone in the game now. (Today’s) another day. We’ve got our bullpen all lined up and I like our chances.”

The Grizzlies opened the game with three straight hits, the last an RBI single by Tyler White, and closed the top of the first inning with a two-run advantage. Alex Presley hit a two-out liner to center in the second to pad the lead and Grossman added a two-out, RBI single of his own in the fifth for a 4-0 lead.

▪ Round Rock beat Oklahoma City 2-1 to sweep the American Conference series. The Express, managed by Fresno native Jason Wood will play the El Paso-Fresno series winner for PCL the championship.

This story was originally published September 11, 2015 at 10:34 PM with the headline "Grizzlies done in by one bad inning, as El Paso wins to extend playoff series."