Grizzlies dominate 51s again, 14-4, at Cashman Field
For the second straight night, Colton Plaia trotted out of the bullpen to take the mound in the ninth inning.
But Plaia isn’t a closer. Or a reliever. Or even a pitcher at all.
He’s a catcher, and his presence on the mound — now four times this year against Fresno — is a sign of how much the 51s have struggled with the Grizzlies this year.
Las Vegas lost its fifth of six games to the Grizzlies this season, falling 14-4 on Wednesday night at Cashman Field.
“At the end of the day, you’ve just got to tip your cap to them,” outfielder Matt den Dekker said. “They went out there and they just beat us up pretty bad today.”
A night after giving up 18 hits, Las Vegas (12-22) gave up 20 more as the Grizzlies hit starter Vance Worley hard.
The Grizzlies (21-13) struck first on an A.J. Reed two-run blast in the second inning. They scored one more run in that inning before adding three more each in the third and fourth innings.
In total, seven of the nine runs that Worley gave up were earned as shortstop Ty Kelly made an error in the fourth inning.
Since joining the 51s three starts ago, Worley has given up 18 runs — 16 earned — in 12 innings pitched for a 12.00 ERA.
“I just think he’s still got to get his arm in shape, his body in shape,” manager Tony DeFrancesco said. “He’s typically a sinker, slider type of guy and he left some pitches up and that kind of hurt him today.”
Tim Peterson gave up one run on two hits in two innings of work while Gerson Bautista, making just his second Triple-A appearance, surrendered three runs in the eighth inning. Plaia gave up a run in his one inning, too.
But by the time any of them had come in, the game was well out of hand.
“It’s all on our starting pitching,” DeFrancesco said. “…We’ve got to get a quality outing from one of these guys eventually. Tomorrow’s going to be another tough day. We’ve got a bullpen day.”
The 51s didn’t do much against Fresno starter Rogelio Armenteros, who threw six shutout innings.
They had the leadoff runner on base in each of the first three innings and loaded the bases with just one out in the second but couldn’t capitalize.
“We had a couple opportunities but that’s baseball, you’re going to have to work to get those guys in and sometimes you’re not going to get them in and tonight it went his way and not ours,” den Dekker, who finished the night with three hits and an RBI, said.
Armenteros faced the 51s earlier this season and was knocked around for five runs on eight hits in just three innings, but DeFrancesco said he thought the starter had changed his game plan from his start in April, relying more heavily on his fastball and throwing fewer changeups and breaking balls.
“(Armenteros) had a pretty good fastball, good changeup, shut us down for five innings,” DeFrancesco said. “We did score late. … It was nice to see (Phillip) Evans pop a home run, den Dekker had a few hits, but when you’re out of the game early day in and day out, it’s tough to try to come back and score runs.”
Injury update
Gavin Cecchini was hit by a pitch in the foot in the eighth inning and had to be helped off the field. DeFrancesco said he would be sent for an X-ray on Thursday.
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