SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. – The Fresno Grizzlies fell 10-5 to the Inland Empire 66ers Sunday afternoon at San Manuel Stadium in their final road game of the regular season. Despite scoring the game’s first run, Fresno could not keep pace with Inland Empire’s offense, which featured three home runs.
Fresno’s Daniel Jackson reached base in the second inning on a first baseman error and scored on a Juan Martinez double with a passed ball, giving the Grizzlies an early 1-0 lead. Inland Empire answered quickly, with Estevan Moreno hitting a leadoff home run in the bottom of the second. The 66ers built a 4-1 lead by the third inning through a combination of home runs and doubles.
Jackson cut the deficit with a solo home run leading off the fourth inning to make it 4-2. Inland Empire extended their lead with a three-run fifth inning, increasing the lead to 7-2. Fresno’s offense continued to respond later, with Carlos Renzullo scoring on a Cort MacDonald single in the seventh, Jack Natili hitting a solo homer in the eighth, and Ryan Niedzwiedz tripling and scoring in the ninth. Inland Empire matched those efforts with homers from Starlin Aguilar and Dervy Ventura, keeping the final score at 10-5.
Yujanyer Herrera started for Fresno and surrendered seven runs, while Austin Newton provided 1.2 innings of relief. The Grizzlies totaled 10 hits, with extra-base hits from MacDonald and Martinez among others.
Fresno split the week-long series with Inland Empire, winning seven of 12 season matchups. The Grizzlies hold a one-game lead over Stockton for the final playoff spot in the California League North Division heading into the last six games of the regular season.
Fresno will host the San Jose Giants for a six-game series starting Tuesday at 6:50 p.m. at Chukchansi Park.
CSB Take
The Fresno Grizzlies showcased resilience with timely hitting but were outpaced by Inland Empire’s powerful offense in their last road outing. Maintaining a slim lead for the final playoff spot, the six-game home series against the San Jose Giants is pivotal for their postseason aspirations. Consistent pitching performances along with sustained offensive production will be vital for Fresno in securing their playoff berth.
Source: Original report
