Round Rock Express Defeats Fresno Behind Six Strong Innings From Loux
ROUND ROCK, Texas - Needing a win to claim the four game series against the Fresno Grizzlies (63-52), the Express turned to starting pitcher Shane Loux and he came through with six strong innings Saturday
night to help Round Rock (47-68) claim the series three games to one with a 4-1 win.
It was Louxs first win since early June as he scattered just four hits over six innings of work
to go along with three strikeouts and one walk. Loux (3-11) was hoping to turn things around after
losing his last 10 starts.
After retiring the side in order in the first inning, Round Rock scored three runs in the bottom half of the frame to give him a nice lead to work with. It was Chris Shelton who got the Express offense going early as he worked the count to 3-2, and fouled off several pitches to stay alive, before smashing a three-run homer to deep left field that resulted in the 3-0 first inning lead. Loux kept the Fresno bats quite until Matt Yourkin singled in the third inning.
The Grizzlies didn't manage to score a run until the sixth inning as they cut the Express lead to 4-1 at that point after Brett Pill came across to score for Fresno. Pill found himself in scoring position after coming up with a two-out double and came around to score on a Ben Coupeland RBI single for the only Fresno run of the evening.
Round Rock picked up an insurance run in the fifth inning when J.B Shuck led off with a double and anvanced to third on a Sutil sacrifice bunt before coming home to score Round Rocks fourth run on a Bogusevic's RBI double. With the hit, Bogusevic extended his hitting streak to seven games.
The Express used a trio of relievers to keep the Fresno bats at bay with Chris Sampson and Roy Corcoran each working a scoreless inning apiece. Casey Daigle came on to close it out in the ninth by earning his eighth save of the season.
The Grizzlies did manage to mount a threat in the eighth inning when they loaded the bases with just one out.
Corcoran responded by getting Jackson Williams to hit into an inning-ending double play to escape any damage.
Fresno starter Henry Sosa gave up four runs on seven hits while allowing two walks and striking out eight over his six innings of work but ended up taking the loss as his record fell to 6-5 on the season.
Oswaldo Navarro and Shuck both went 2-for-4 on the night with both of Shucks hits going for extra bases. The Grizzlies Jesus Guaman and Copeland picked up two hits apiece in the loss.
Sacramento comes to town Sunday to open a four-game series agains the Express with the first pitch scheduled for 6:05 p.m. Round Rock will send Yorman Bazardo (2-4, 3.99 ERA) to the mound and he will oppose former Houston Astro John Halama (4-1, 5.57 ERA) who will get the starting nod for the River Cats.
