Grizzlies outlast 51s in 12

Victoria Sun

Monday, April 15, 2002 | 9:10 a.m.

The winds gusted so hard at Cashman Field that the grass on the left field berm resembled waves of rippling water Sunday afternoon.

It caused the trees to shake wildly and the flags to whip violently.

Surprisingly, the wind only helped carry one ball out of the park in a game between the 51s and Fresno Grizzlies that lasted four hours and seven minutes.

Fresno pinch-hitter Angel Pena doubled in pinch-runner Brian Simmons for the go-ahead run in the top of the 12th inning en route to Fresno's 7-5 victory, its second straight.

"We had our chances," said a clearly dejected 51s manager Brad Mills. "We had our chances to do it and we didn't execute a few things.

"The loss last night was very hard to take. That's the disappointing thing. To follow it up with a game like this, we're a better team than that."

Mills said fundamental plays hurt the 51s.

"We've got to catch the ball, be able to bunt the ball. It was the same thing last night. If we were able to catch and bunt the ball, we would have won both of those games."

The loss dropped the 51s to 7-4 while the Grizzlies improved to 6-5.

The 51s turned four double plays and stranded 15 base runners while the Grizzlies had three double plays and left 11 men aboard.

Fresno third baseman Tony Zuniga singled in second baseman Edwards Guzman, who was intentionally walked, for the Grizzlies' final run in the 12th.

The 51s tried to answer with Fresno reliever Mike Villano on the mound.

Villano walked third baseman Ricky Bell. Right fielder Luke Allen followed with a fly out to left before Villano walked shortstop Felix Martinez. Pinch-hitter Todd Greene flew out to left but then Villano then hit second baseman Joe Thurston to load the bases with two outs. However, center fielder Scott Pose grounded out to end the game.

51s reliever Guillermo Mota (1-1) allowed two runs on three hits in the final inning and absorbed the loss. Jon Cannon pitched two scoreless innings for his first win and Villano got the save.

"Any loss is disappointing because you want to win every game," Thurston said. "The positive thing is, we were in the game the whole time.

"We didn't get the extra hits to go ahead, but we weren't ever out of it."

Thurston, one of five 51s who had two hits, went 2-for-6.

Las Vegas' Mike Kinkade smacked Manny Aybar's 2-2 pitch over the left field fence for a two-run homer, tying the game 5-5 and forcing extra innings.

Kinkade, leading the team in hitting, was 2-for-3 with two runs scored and two RBIs.

"We thought there would be more home runs hit today," Mills said.

Down 4-0, the 51s staged a three-run rally in the eighth inning by battering Fresno reliever Robby Crabtree.

With one out, Crabtree hit Kinkade. Las Vegas first baseman Chin-Feng Chen and outfielder Bubba Crosby followed with consecutive singles and third baseman Rick Bell doubled in Kinkade and Chen.

Crabtree was then yanked in favor of Aybar. Crosby scored the final run on pinch-hitter Luke Allen's sacrifice fly to center field and Aybar struck out shortstop Felix Martinez to end the inning.