51s earn split against Fresno

Monday, May 2, 2005 | 9:26 a.m.

SUN WIRE SERVICES

Cashman Field All Games 7:05 p.m. Radio: all games on 1460-AM

-- Nick Christensen

Willy Aybar's bat and the pitching of Harold Eckert led the Las Vegas 51s to a 6-3 victory against the Fresno Grizzlies in front of 8,829 fans at Grizzlies Stadium on Sunday.

Aybar went 3-for-4 with two doubles, a run scored and two RBIs to raise his average to .333. Eckert (2-1), who struck out eight while making his second spot start in a week, posted zeros until the sixth inning.

After giving up a leadoff bunt to Doug Clark and then hitting Las Vegan Brian Daillimore, Todd Linden knocked a three-run home run off Eckert to cut the lead in half.

The score remained the same the rest of the way as Tom Farmer pitched a scoreless seventh inning and Franquelis Osoria tossed two hitless frames to earn his third save.

Antonio Perez, making his first rehab appearance for the 51s, led off the game with a double off starter Patrick Misch (0-2). Perez scored when Mike Edwards hit into a double play.

In the third, Edwards grounded into another double play that scored a run, but this time the bases were loaded after three consecutive 51s hits.

The broken rallies did not come back to haunt them as the 51s scored four runs in a big fifth inning. Aybar hit a two-run, bases-loaded double and then Mike Rose singled home another run. Tony Schrager capped the scoring with a sacrifice fly, and at the end of the inning, the 51s' lead was six runs.

The Grizzlies got solid relief work from Brandon Villafuerte, who pitched 2 2/3 innings without giving up a run, and Jeffrey Petersen, who went the final two innings without allowing a base runner.

The two teams split their four-game series, and will go right back at it tonight when they begin another four-game series at Cashman Field.