Fresno Grizzlies rally from big hole but fall in extras in PCL Championship opener

Just when it seemed like the Fresno Grizzlies had climbed out of a massive hole and were poised for victory, the game slipped away.

Despite overcoming a six-run deficit and owning a one-run lead with their shutdown closer in for the ninth, the Grizzlies endured a 9-8 loss to the Round Rock Express on Tuesday night to kick off the best-of-five series for the Pacific Coast League championship.

Grizzlies closer James Hoyt, who hadn’t allowed a run in his past 13 outings, served up a game-tying home run to Nomar Mazara that forced extra innings.

And just before it turned midnight in Texas in front of a dwindled announced crowd of 4,866 at Dell Diamond, the Grizzlies issued four walks in the 12th, including one with the bases loaded by Juan Minaya against Express leadoff hitter Lewis Brinson that brought in the winning run.

“You hate to lose any game,” Grizzlies manager Tony DeFrancesco said. “It’s the playoffs. They’re not going to quit. We’re not going to quit.

“They fought back all the way through.”

The series continues at 5:05 p.m. Wednesday with Grizzlies righty Dan Straily (10-9, 4.77 ERA during the regular season) set to face Express right-hander Robert Coello (7-6, 4.18) in the final game in Texas.

Straily, 26, allowed one run in six innings during his previous start, a 9-1 postseason victory against the El Paso Chihuahuas on Sept. 9. He has not faced Round Rock this season.

Coello, who limited the Grizzlies to two runs off six hits in 5 2/3 innings during an Aug. 22 start in Fresno, has not thrown in the postseason yet and last pitched Sept. 7.

The starting pitcher who can last longer could give his team a great advantage after Fresno and Round Rock went through seven pitchers each Tuesday.

“We’re going to have to figure things out (Wednesday),” DeFrancesco said. “But we’ve got our ace going. I’m confident in Straily.

“As much as we wanted this one tonight, we came in just looking to get a split. We still have that opportunity.”

Fatigue was key in the Grizzlies’ extra-innings demise.

After throwing a perfect 11th, Grizzlies reliever Jordan Jankowski labored throughout the 12th inning and issued three walks.

He nearly got out of the inning after inducing a grounder to shortstop Nolan Fontana for a potential double-play. But Fontana’s throw to first, after getting an out at second, was declared to be a tad late with Ryan Cordell beating it out.

Then with runners at the corners and two outs, Jankowski loaded the bases with a free pass to No. 9 hitter Beamer Weems.

DeFrancesco turned to the flame-throwing Minaya to bail them out.

But the 24-year-old immediately fell behind in the count after rifling three straight balls against the leadoff hitter Brinson.

Then after a strike looking and foul ball made the count full, Minaya threw a fastball that sailed down the middle but low and brought in the winning run via a walk-off walk.

“We had a double play ball; they called him safe at first,” DeFrancesco said. “There’s no replay. Just one shot to get it right. It was a bang-bang play.

“Our guys fought through it. It didn’t happen. But what a great playoff experience this is for the guys, to see what you’re made of when a lot of adrenaline in flowing.”

The Grizzlies got behind early, down 7-1 through three innings because of the struggles from starting pitcher Mike Hauschild, who hadn’t pitched in nine days.

Serving up hittable balls from the start, Hauschild lasted just 1  1/3 innings and surrendered six runs off six hits.

Half of Hauschild’s runs crossed after reliever Luis Cruz entered with the bases loaded and one out in the second. Cruz allowed all of his inherited runners to score with one crossing via a throwing error by Fontana to first base in an attempted double play throw to end the inning.

The Grizzlies did not have a double play the entire night.

The Grizzlies, however, steadily rallied, getting a two-run homer from No. 3 hitter Tyler White in the seventh that reduced Round Rock’s lead to 7-4.

The Grizzlies then strung five hits and two walks for a four-run eighth, with the go-ahead run crossing courtesy of White’s RBI single to left that put Fresno ahead 8-7.

White finished 3 for 5 with a homer, a double, one run and three RBIs.

With the lead in the ninth and Hoyt on the mound, DeFrancesco took out White in favor of Colin Moran for defense. Moran spent the entire season in Double-A Corpus Christi before making his Triple-A debut Tuesday.

On the first pitch of the bottom of the ninth, Hoyt served up a solo homer to deep center that tied the game and ended Hoyt’s scoreless streak that began Aug. 16.

Then with White no longer in the game, Moran finished 0 for 2 during extra innings, including a soft liner to third for the second out of the 10th that left a runner at second base.

“It’s definitely a tough loss,” White said. “We put up that rally when we could’ve just folded. But it’s the playoffs.

“Neither team was willing to give up.”

This story was originally published September 15, 2015 at 10:57 PM with the headline "Fresno Grizzlies rally from big hole but fall in extras in PCL Championship opener."