Climbing Tal's Hill
Fansided

Fresno falls in PCL Championship as Astros seek new affiliate

ByAndrew Gleinser|
HOUSTON, TX - JULY 07: Kyle Tucker #3 of the Houston Astros takes batting practice before playing the Chicago White Sox at Minute Maid Park on July 7, 2018 in Houston, Texas. Tucker was called up from Triple-A Fresno and his making his major league debut. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)
HOUSTON, TX - JULY 07: Kyle Tucker #3 of the Houston Astros takes batting practice before playing the Chicago White Sox at Minute Maid Park on July 7, 2018 in Houston, Texas. Tucker was called up from Triple-A Fresno and his making his major league debut. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)

The Houston Astros’ Triple-A affiliate Fresno Grizzlies fell short of a championship in what proves to be their final season with the Astros.

After advancing to the Pacific Coast League championship series, the Fresno Grizzlies lost to Memphis in four games to close out the season. The following day, the Astros announced they have cut ties with Fresno and are seeking a new Triple-A affiliate.

This could pave the way for the organization to re-engage the Round Rock Express, which served as the team’s Triple-A squad from 2005 to 2010. This would provide a distinct geographical advantage over Fresno, making it easier to shuffle players back and forth.

Meanwhile, Fresno will seek a new affiliation after finishing with a division title and trip to the championship series this season. Here’s the series recap. They are currently advertising Taco Tuesday for perspective new MLB affiliates. We will always have the Tony Kemp taco truck bobblehead.

Falling in Memphis

The Grizzlies opened the series with a 10-4 loss on Tuesday. Brady Rodgers gave up six runs (four earned) in 5.1 innings to take the loss. Garrett Stubbs had two hits and two RBIs, while Nick Tanielu added a double, RBI and a walk.

Fresno won the second game 10-1 on Wednesday, its final home game of the season. Trent Thornton earned the win, surrendering one run in six innings. Kyle Tucker and Drew Ferguson each had two hits, including a homer, and three RBIs. Jack Mayfield added two hits, including a big fly, and two RBIs.

The Grizzlies dropped an 11-inning contest in game three on Friday, falling 2-1. Rogelio Armenteros tossed six strong innings, allowing just one run. The team’s lone score came on a solo homer off the bat of Tucker. The offense managed a total of four hits in the game.

The Fresno bats went cold again as the team’s hopes ended with a 5-0 loss on Saturday. The offense again managed only four hits, with a Tucker double as the lone extra-base knock. Cy Sneed gave up three runs on seven hits in three innings to take the loss.

***Statistics courtesy of MiLB.com and MLB.com***

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