Grizzlies Report for July 3: Salt Lake 7, Fresno 3
Up next – Fresno RH Cesar Valdez (5-1, 3.65 ERA) faces Sacramento LH Adalberto Mejia (1-0, 5.71) in the Fourth of July series opener between the two Triple-A rivals. First pitch is 6:05 p.m. The Grizzlies will host the River Cats for the first time this season in a three-game series at Chukchansi Park. Fresno swept the first Highway 99 series of the season in Sacramento June 13-16. What’s billed as the largest fireworks spectacular in the Central Valley will take place after the game. The Grizzlies will offer rides on the “Growlifornia Monsoon” waterslide, with no age limit, as well as put on a hot dog eating contest.
Recap – By way of a six-run second inning, host Salt Lake proved too much for the Grizzlies, who fell 7-3 to miss the sweep in Sunday’s series finale at Smith’s Ballpark. The loss also ended Fresno’s win streak at four games. Fresno starter Brad Peacock (2-4, 5.17) couldn’t get through a Bees’ lineup that tagged him for 10 hits, seven runs (all earned) and two walks in five innings. He also struck out six batters. In the bottom of the second, the Bees pounded Peacock with six singles before Cal Towey’s two-out, two-run double to left pushed the lead to 7-0. The Grizzlies got on the board via Alex Bregman’s two-out, three-run homer in the fifth. Salt Lake’s David Huff (2-3, 5.68) got the win, giving up five hits and three runs in five innings.
Perfect ’pens – Both the Grizzlies’ and Bees’ bullpens put up zeroes on the scoreboard after relieving their starting pitchers to start the sixth inning, with neither staff allowing a hit across the final three frames.
Fresno debut– Alex Bregman has fit in nicely in his first four games with Triple-A Fresno, collecting eight RBIs with two homers, two doubles and a .471 batting average. The 22-year-old infielder, who was named Baseball America’s 2013 National Freshman of the Year at LSU and drafted No. 2 overall in the 2015 draft, will make his Chukchansi Park debut against the River Cats. Bregman had 14 HRs, 16 doubles, and drove in 46 runs with a .297 average in 62 games with Double-A Corpus Christi to start the season.
The Fresno Bee
This story was originally published July 3, 2016 at 5:40 PM with the headline "Grizzlies Report for July 3: Salt Lake 7, Fresno 3."