Tempers flare as 51s lose 18-5 to Fresno

As the 51s season has gone sideways, manager Pedro Lopez has said time and time again that the team needs to remain positive.

He tried some version of that message again Thursday in a meeting after an 18-5 shellacking at the hands of the Fresno Grizzlies in a game in which tempers flared.

“I have to make sure that I keep everybody going in the right direction (and) I keep everybody positive,” Lopez said. “That’s what the meeting was all about.”

The loss was the third of four to Fresno in a series in which 51s pitchers gave up 61 runs.

After the 51s (37-61) scored three runs in the first inning, the Grizzlies responded with eight straight runs, including six apiece off starter Donovan Hand and reliever Beck Wheeler.

Reliever Luis Mateo gave up four of the runs on Thursday in the seventh inning, retiring two batters.

Then, he hit Fresno (56-42) shortstop Reid Brignac on the back and the two exchanged words, leading to Mateo’s ejection.

“Stuff happens. He said that the ball got away from him and I don’t think that’s — that’s not the way we teach you how to play the game,” Lopez said. “He said he didn’t do it on purpose so hopefully he’s telling the truth. I also told him that ‘That’s not the way you play the game’ and we’ll see what happens next. I know for a fact that that’s not going to happen again ever.”

Lopez said he didn’t think Mateo was ejected for the pitch as much as the aftermath.

“I think the reason he got tossed was because he was calling for him and saying ‘Let’s go,” Lopez said. “It was back and forth. Brignac was talking to him and he said ‘Alright let’s go.’ The umpires didn’t see Brignac talking to him and it’s just unfortunate. That’s not the way we play the game. Certainly that’s not the way I teach to play the game.”

The meeting wasn’t about that, though, as much as trying to get a struggling team on track, Lopez said.

The 51s are 37-61 and if they keep continuing to struggle, they could possibly set a new franchise record for losses in a season.

They head to Tennessee for eight days where they will first play Memphis, the top team in the Pacific Coast League.

Hand, who gave up six runs in four innings, echoed Lopez’s message, saying the team was “as positive as (it) can be.”

“Eventually, whenever that is, it’s going to turn. … We’re trying to do the best job we can to lead the team through it, to lead the young guys through it,” Hand said. “It’s got to click at some point. The effort’s been there.”

Still, it’s a hard, unenviable position to be in, far, far away from being in contention, slogging through loss after loss.

“I know the situation that we’re in right now and it’s not by mistake,” he said. “We put ourselves in this situation but it hasn’t been because of lack of effort. The guys have been going at it the right way it just unfortunately hasn’t gone our way so we’ve just got to make better pitches. We’ve just got to hit a little better at times and make better plays on the field.”

Up next

Who: 51s at Memphis Redbirds

When: 5:05 p.m.

Where: Autozone Park

Starters: Wilfredo Boscan (4-8, 5.16 ERA) vs. Jack Flaherty (1-1, 3.82 ERA)

Next five

Saturday:at Memphis, 4:35 p.m.

Sunday: at Memphis, 12:05 p.m.

Monday:at Memphis, 5:05 p.m.

Tuesday: at Nashville, 5:05 p.m.

Wednesday:at Nashville, 5:05 p.m.

Update