Bullpen betrays 51s in 6-3 loss at Fresno

The 51s’ bullpen was unable to preserve a 3-1 lead, as the Fresno Grizzlies rallied with a run in the sixth and four in the seventh to defeat Las Vegas 6-3 on Thursday night in Fresno, Calif.

Trailing 3-2 in the bottom of the seventh, the Grizzlies got to relievers Jeff Walters and Ryan Reid. Joe Panik drove in a run with a double off Walters to tie the game 3-3. A passed ball allowed Gary Brown to score from third, giving Fresno a 4-3 lead. Travis Ishikawa’s single off Reid scored two more.

Heath Hembree, the fifth Fresno pitcher, retired the 51s in the ninth to get his 10th save and make a winner of Adam Reifer (2-2) as the Grizzlies took three of four in the series.

Walters (3-3) took the loss for Las Vegas, which went 4-4 on the trip and returns to Cashman Field today to host Sacramento at 7:05 p.m. in the first game of a four-game series.