Grizzlies Report for May 16: Nashville 4, Fresno 1

Recap – A fielding error by left fielder Jon Kemmer with two outs and the bases loaded in the bottom of the sixth inning paved the way to four unearned runs as Nashville downed visiting Fresno 4-1 Monday in the Pacific Coast League. Kemmer misplayed a ball hit by Rangel Ravelo that allowed Chad Pinder, Renato Nunes and Jake Smolinski to score. Ravelo scored on Bryan Anderson’s double for a 4-0 Sounds lead. The Grizzlies cut the deficit to 4-1 in the seventh on Matt Duffy’s solo home run, the first of the year for the reigning PCL MVP, but that’s as close as Fresno came.

Moving on– Outfielder/second baseman Tony Kemp, a catalyst down the stretch during the Grizzlies’ drive to the Triple-A championship last season, has been promoted to the parent Houston Astros. The left-handed-hitting Kemp, 25, was batting .298 with two doubles, four triples, a homer, four steals, 18 runs and 10 RBIs in 34 games. A fifth-round selection in the June 2013 draft, Kemp has started 15 games at second base, nine in left field and eight in center. Kemp hit .273 and stole 20 bases in 71 games for Fresno last season. Houston opened a spot on its 40-man and 25-man rosters for Kemp by releasing catcher Erik Kratz. Outfielder Preston Tucker was optioned to Fresno. Tucker was hitting .176 in 85 at-bats with the Astros.

Up next – A four-game series in Nashville concludes at 4:35 p.m. Tuesday with Grizzlies LH Tommy Shirley (3-2, 3.00) against Sounds LH Dillon Overton (1-4, 4.89). Shirley gave up two earned runs on eight hits and three walks over four innings in his last start May 12 against Tacoma. Overton has lost his last three starts while yielding 14 earned runs in 18 innings.

Wasted effort – Fresno pitchers Mike Hauschild (5  1/3 innings), Kevin Chapman ( 2/3 inning), Josh Fields ( 2/3 inning) and Juan Minaya (1 1/3 innings) combined to hold Nashville without an earned run. They also combined for 10 strikeouts.

The Fresno Bee

This story was originally published May 16, 2016 at 8:01 PM with the headline "Grizzlies Report for May 16: Nashville 4, Fresno 1."