Fresno @ Modesto Gm 3
The Modesto Nuts continued their attempt to reel in the Fresno Grizzlies with a commanding 18-1 win on Thursday night at John Thurman Field. The second-place Nuts scored 18 runs on 17 hits while drawing eight walks and hitting three home runs. Tyler Cleveland went seven shutout innings to earn his league-leading 12th win.
An eight-run second inning put the Nuts up 9-0 and chased Fresno starter Connor Staine. Modesto put up five more in the fifth, one in the sixth and three in the seventh. Fresno didn’t get on the board till posting a single run in the top of the ninth.
Luis Suisbel was 3-for-4 with his fifth home run and four RBIs. Lazaro Montes hit a grand slam, his fourth home run of the season. Freuddy Batista doubled and hit two triples.
Cleveland gave up seven hits and no walks while striking out five over seven innings. In addition to wins, the 2022 draft pick leads the league in WHIP (1.16) and IP (120.1) and is sixth in strikeouts (97).
Modesto (26-19) has been red-hot for a month and is chasing down first-place Fresno (30-15) who started the second half equally hot. The Nuts are four games back in the North division and have won two of the first three games of the six-game series. Game four is Friday at 7:05PM.
THURSDAY SCORES
INLAND EMPIRE – 4
LAKE ELSINORE – 8
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