Fresno Report June 5 – 11: Grizzlies continue strong play in the Astros’ minor league system

After a prolonged slump, the Astros’ Triple-A affiliate Fresno Grizzlies posted their second consecutive winning week.

Following a breakthrough 5-1 week, the Fresno Grizzlies continued to play well, posting a 5-2 record this week. Even more impressive, the team did so while spending the entire week on the road. Perhaps the Astros‘ Triple-A affiliate is in the midst of turning around its season.

Success in Sacramento

Fresno started a four-game road series with a 7-3 loss at Sacramento on June 5. Trent Thornton settled for a no-decision, surrendering three runs (two earned) in five innings. Juan Centeno had two RBIs while Tony Kemp and Derek Fisher reached base twice each.

The Grizzlies rebounded for a 5-2 win on Tuesday. Mike Hauschild earned the win, firing off six shutout innings. Preston Tucker hit a three-run homer while Colin Moran and A.J. Reed added solo shots. Fisher walked twice and doubled in five plate appearances.

Fresno scored two in the top of the ninth to pull out a 6-5 victory on Wednesday. Casey Coleman gave up two runs in 5.2 innings. Tyler White had a home run and three RBIs, while Fisher and Teoscar Hernandez added solo shots. Tucker reached base three times.

The Grizzlies won the series finale on Thursday 9-2, taking three of four in the series. David Martinez allowed just one unearned run in seven innings to notch the win. Fisher went 2-for-4 with a homer, a walk and three RBIs. White was 2-for-4 with two RBIs while Max Stassi homered and drove in three.

“Out in the West Texas Town of El Paso”

Fresno lost a 14-12 slugfest on Friday in the opener of a three-game series at El Paso. Dean Deetz gave up five runs in three innings, while Ashur Tolliver coughed up six runs without recording an out. Kemp hit a two-run homer, and Reed homered and drove in three. Tucker had four hits and two RBIs while Centeno had three hits and two runs driven in.

The Grizzlies rebounded for a 9-5 victory on Saturday. Thornton earned the win, hurling six shutout innings. White and Moran each homered twice, while Reed and Stassi also went deep. The team made five errors, including two by Reed.

A six-run first inning propelled Fresno to an 11-6 win on Sunday. Hauschild did enough to earn the win, giving up five runs in 5.2 innings. Moran doubled and homered, driving in four. Reed hit a three-run shot while Kemp also went yard. The win finished off another series victory for Fresno.

Player of the Week: Tyler White

Tough call this week as Moran and Fisher also had nice weeks. But White stood out thanks to six consecutive multi-hit games. He added three homers and eight RBIs in that span and raised his season average from .247 to .277. If this hot streak continues, he could prove to be a nice utility infielder if the Astros find themselves in need of one.

Next: Three numbers and the Astros' Sunday pitching woes

What’s Next

The Grizzlies get a day of rest on Monday before finishing up their road trip with a four-game series at Albuquerque. They will then return home on Saturday to start a four-game series against El Paso. Fresno sits at 31-33 on the season, nine games behind division leader Reno and five games behind second-place Tacoma.

***Statistics courtesy of MiLB.com***