Grizzlies’ late rally sends 51s to third straight loss
Adam Wilk held the Grizzlies hitless until the fifth inning and scoreless until the sixth.
After giving up three runs in the sixth, he pitched a scoreless seventh and his night was over. He had done his job, leaving with a two-run lead and putting Las Vegas into position to win.
But the lead the 51s had held for almost the entire game quickly disappeared in the eighth inning, and Las Vegas tumbled to its third straight loss to Fresno, losing 8-5 on Friday night at Chukchansi Park in Fresno, California.
Left-hander Dave Roseboom, who relieved Wilk in the eighth, allowed a single to the first batter he faced.
After striking out Derek Fisher, the inning came off the rails.
A single and two walks later, one run had scored and 51s manager Pedro Lopez called for closer Paul Sewald with a 5-4 lead.
Sewald served up a grand slam to the first batter he faced, Teoscar Hernandez.
“Really good ballgame all the way until the eighth, and unfortunately Roseboom got in trouble with his command, and then from there on out, brought Paulie in to face a righty with the bases loaded and he made a mistake up in the zone with a slider,” Lopez said.
The 51s (8-8) brought the tying run to the plate in the ninth inning, but L.J. Mazzilli hit into a double play.
Las Vegas scored four runs in the second inning, thanks in part to Mazzilli’s RBI single and Xorge Carrillo’s two-run homer.
They scored their other run in the fifth on Gavin Cecchini’s fielder’s choice.
Wilk gave up a three-run homer in the sixth inning to A.J. Reed, but he allowed just four hits in his seven innings while striking out five.
“He made one mistake up in the zone on a fastball up and away, and it was hit for a three-run home run, but other than that, I thought that he was in control,” Lopez said. “That’s the reason why I sent him back out in the seventh inning, and, to me, it was an outstanding performance, an outstanding outing and just unfortunately we couldn’t pull through for him.”
The loss dropped the 51s to .500 after they had won five in a row.
“When you’re playing a season like we have, 142 games, these are the games that when everything is said and done in the end, that you’re going to be wishing that you could have (held), and just unfortunately tonight it didn’t happen, but tomorrow’s a new day and we’ll see what happens,” Lopez said.
Worth noting
Shortstop Amed Rosario made his first start of the season at third base. The start was not in response to Jose Reyes’ struggles, but rather something Lopez said before the season probably would happen every 10 to 12 days.
“He’s athletic enough that he could play anywhere. He did a good job tonight. He made one error, but it was a ball that he kind of charged and bobbled it on the short hop,” Lopez said. “After talking to him, he said that he could have played the ball back, that way he wouldn’t get the short hop, but he did a good job and looked good out there.”
Up next
Who: 51s at Sacramento River Cats
When: 7:05 p.m. today
Where: Raley Field, Sacramento, Calif.
Starters: Ricky Knapp (0-1, 6.00 ERA), 51s, vs. TBA
Next five
Sunday: Las Vegas at Sacramento, 1:05 p.m.
Monday: Las Vegas at Sacramento, 7:05 p.m.
Tuesday: Las Vegas at Sacramento, 12:05 p.m.
Wednesday: Off
Thursday: Albuquerque at Las Vegas, 7:05 p.m.
Update
The New York Mets placed Lucas Duda and Wilmer Flores on the disabled list and recalled T.J. Rivera and Sean Gilmartin, who was sent down Thursday. Rafael Montero, who was sent down Thursday, was active on the Las Vegas roster Friday. He is supposed to start Sunday.
Contact Betsy Helfand at bhelfand@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BetsyHelfand on Twitter.
