Grizzlies Report for June 20: Fresno 2, Tacoma 1

Recap – A.J. Reed drove in runs with a sacrifice fly and home run, and James Hoyt earned his 16th save after a ninth-inning scare as the Fresno Grizzlies earned a four-game series split at Tacoma with a 2-1 Pacific Coast League win over the Rainiers on Monday night. Reed’s RBIs came in the first and ninth innings in a game Fresno managed only four hits and a run off Dos Palos native Cody Martin. Hoyt gave up a leadoff home run to Stefen Romero in the ninth before retiring three straight. Grizzlies starter Tommy Shirley rebounded from five rough starts with six shutout innings, giving up only four hits.

Up next – The Fresno Grizzlies will return to Chukchansi Park for an eight-game homestand beginning Tuesday with one of four 7:05 p.m. games against Albuquerque. Fresno will oppose RH Jordan Lyles (4-2, 5.44) with RH Brad Peacock (1-3, 5.19). The Grizzlies won two of three on the road against the Isotopes in early June. Fresno will follow this series with another four-gamer against Tacoma.

Martin career update– Martin, who arrived with a 5-4 record, 5.27 ERA and was coming off a 3 2/3 innings, seven-hit shelling at Salt Lake City, delivered his best start of the season. The 6-foot-3, 230-pounder, who will turn 27 on Sept. 4, gave up four hits and one run in seven innings. He struck out seven and didn’t walk a batter while throwing 64 of 89 pitches (72 percent) for strikes. He’s played two games in the majors this season. He’s pitched a total of four innings in relief with the Seattle Mariners, posting a 1-0 record and 2.25 ERA. Martin’s played most of his six-year career in the Atlanta Braves organization, which drafted him in the seventh round of the 2011 June Amateur Draft out of Gonzaga. And he also played briefly in the Oakland A’s organization before being selected off waivers by Seattle on Oct. 19, 2015. The 6-foot-3, 230-pounder, who will turn 27 on Sept. 4, is 36-33 with a 3.43 ERA in the minors.

Valdez honored – Grizzlies RH Cesar Valdez was named PCL Pitcher of the Week after winning 4-0 at Sacramento on June 16. He pitched a one-hitter with 10 strikeouts while becoming the first PCL pitcher in nearly eight years to deliver a one-hit, nine-inning start with at least 10 strikeouts.

The Fresno Bee

This story was originally published June 20, 2016 at 8:36 PM with the headline "Grizzlies Report for June 20: Fresno 2, Tacoma 1."