51s respond to tongue-lashing, win second game against Fresno

51s manager Wally Backman was displeased.

And after a 6-3 loss to the Fresno Grizzlies in the first game of Thursday’s doubleheader at Cashman Field, he did absolutely nothing to hide that.

Upset over weeks of play he thought was unacceptable, Backman held a meeting to voice his frustrations.

The result was a much better second game in which the 51s beat Fresno 9-4.

“I expect my players to come to the ballpark every day expecting to win and going about their business the way I feel that they need to go about their business,” Backman said. “And I just felt that they haven’t done that in recent days.”

Backman was upset what he deemed players “going through the motions.”

“The coaching staff has been frustrated I’m going to say the last few weeks,” Backman said. “It was really based on competing.”

An ugly 5-3 loss to Fresno in 11 innings Wednesday in which the 51s missed multiple opportunities did nothing to help that.

Now 56-57 with 31 games remaining, the 51s are six games behind Pacific Coast League Pacific South Division leader El Paso and are coming off an 11-18 record in July, easily their worst month of the season.

Las Vegas catcher Nevin Ashley said the team had been playing “a little lackadaisical” lately and it had shown.

“Everybody kind of knew it, and sometimes we just need that little kick start, just the extra motivation,” Ashley said. “Sometimes it helps when you get yelled at and have some accountability.”

In the first game, the Grizzlies (62-50) took a 1-0 lead in the first inning off starter Darin Gorski, but the 51s countered with three runs after RBI hits from Eric Campbell, T.J. Rivera and Kevin Plawecki.

But Fresno starter Brady Rodgers silenced Las Vegas from there, throwing a seven-inning complete game and striking out five.

Gorski (3-3) gave up runs in the first, third and fourth. He was pulled after allowing five runs in 3 1/3 innings.

After that loss, the 51s received their tongue-lashing.

“It kind of lit a fire under us,” right fielder Travis Taijeron said. “This is our job, this is what we’ve got to do, and to get to the next level, we’ve always got to compete, so him doing that kind of wakes us up.”

Taijeron had the big hit for the 51s in the second game, launching a grand slam to make the score 7-2 in the third inning after two walks and a hit batsman loaded the bases with no outs.

“With nobody out and the bases loaded like that, you’ve got a man on the third (and) the best outcome is a hit or (to) put the ball in the air some way to score that run, so that’s kind of what I was thinking — just try to put the ball in play,” Taijeron said.

It worked.

And so, too, did Backman’s meeting, which Taijeron called “very necessary.”

“I liked the response in game two, but one game is only one game,” Backman said. “There’s still (31) games. I want to see my players play the way that they played tonight in the next (31) games, and that’s what I expect.”

Up next

Who: Fresno Grizzlies at Las Vegas 51s

When: 705 p.m. Friday

Where: Cashman Field

Starters: Cesar Valdez (9-1, 3.54 ERA), Grizzlies, vs. Robert Gsellman (1-4, 6.44 ERA)

Next five

Saturday: Fresno at Las Vegas, 7:05 p.m.

Sunday: Las Vegas at Albuquerque, 5:05 p.m.

Monday: Las Vegas at Albuquerque, 5:35 p.m.

Tuesday: Las Vegas at Albuquerque, 5:35 p.m.

Wednesday: Las Vegas at Albuquerque, 5:35 p.m.

Key stat

Starter Robert Gsellman has rebounded from a rocky start at Triple A with three straight quality starts. Gsellman gave up at least five earned runs in his first three starts, but has allowed a total of six in his past three.

Update

With Yoenis Cespedes hitting the disabled list, Brandon Nimmo was recalled by the New York Mets on Thursday after being optioned to Las Vegas two days before. Nimmo landed in Las Vegas on Wednesday and quickly turned around to take a flight back to New York that night.

Betsy Helfand can be reached at bhelfand@reviewjournal.com. Follow on Twitter: @BetsyHelfand