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Fresno Grizzlies

Pill, Christian Guide Grizzlies Past Aces

August 2, 2011 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Fresno Grizzlies News Release


FRESNO- The Fresno Grizzlies have discovered their winning formula, and they have done so against the best teams in the Pacific Coast League. Fresno put the pieces together again on Monday night at Chukchansi Park, coming from behind twice to beat the Reno Aces, 9-7.

Fresno (49-61) has won four straight games, turning a once dismal-looking homestand into something to build on in the season's final month. The Grizzlies improved to 4-3 at home against the first-place Aces this season, and started the month of August off with a win after going 15-13 in July.

The Aces (63-46) scored first, turning a one-out single and walk by Mark Hallberg and Ryan Langerhans into a run, as Juan Miranda delivered a two-out RBI-single to make it 1-0 in the first. Fresno came back immediately, as Justin Christian singled, stole second and scored on Emmanuel Burriss' two-run shot, just over the short wall in right field. One out later, Brett Pill walked in front of back-to-back singles by Conor Gillaspie and Tyler Graham, the latter scoring Pill to put Fresno ahead by a count of 3-1.

Reno tied the game in the top of the third, taking advantage of a pair of wild pitches. With one out, Hallberg singled and Langerhans walked again, just as they did in the first. Cole Gillespie followed with a slow chopper to shortstop that Nick Noonan could not make a play on to load the bases. That's when Romero uncorked a ball through Hector Sanchez's legs to score Hallberg and move both of the other runners up. Pill made a nice stop on a one-hop, line shot from Miranda, but Langerhans scored on the play to tie the game.

But the Grizzlies reestablished their lead once again in the bottom of the inning, as Pill blasted an 0-2 fastball from Hernandez over the left field bleachers. The shot was Pill's 22nd home run of the season, as he continues to build on his career high. Fresno built a two-run lead on another Pill RBI in the fifth, this time a single to score Christian from second base.

The Aces got back within one thanks to a two-out, two-strike RBI-single by former Grizzly Angel Berroa in the sixth. Reno then pushed in front in the seventh when Langerhans- who has killed the Grizzlies all season and who had walked in each of his first three plate appearances- took Steve Edlefsen deep to right field for a two-run shot to make it 6-5.

Again Fresno responded, though, sending eight men to the plate and scoring three times, twice on sacrifice flies, to reclaim a two-run lead at 8-6. The Aces fought back to get within one in the eighth and had a chance to tie the game, but Gillaspie, Burriss and Pill combined on a slick 5-4-3, inning-ending double play to preserve the lead.

The Grizzlies added the contest's final run on Christian's third double, scoring Nick Noonan in the ninth inning. Christian finished an impressive all-around game at 4-for-5 with three doubles, two runs scored, two RBI, three stolen bases, and a nice sliding catch for the game's final out.

Pill took the outright PCL RBI lead for the first time this season, driving home three on the night. He leads Colorado Springs' Mike Jacobs by one, having driven in 92 this season.

Fresno looks for its first four-game sweep of the season and a winning homestand Tuesday night as the Grizzlies send southpaw Dan Runzler (1-2) against Reno lefty Wade Miley (3-0) at 7:05pm.

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Pacific Coast League Stories from August 2, 2011


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