FRESNO – The River Cats had to keep their Pacific Conference Southern Division championship hopes on hold following a 9-4 loss to the Fresno Grizzlies at Chukchansi Park on Friday night.
With three errors and only four hits, the River Cats remain a win (or Las Vegas loss) away from clinching their seventh division title in nine Pacific Coast League seasons.
"It doesn't feel good being sloppy on defense, especially since we are one game away from clinching the division," said right fielder Danny Putnam. "We played flawless baseball before coming here, we just need to check ourselves right now."
Second baseman Brooks Conrad hit a three-run homer to left field that gave the River Cats a 3-0 first-inning lead.
Justin Knoedler's home run in the second had the River Cats up 4-1. The Cats would not get another hit until Putnam singled in the ninth.
Following the second inning, the River Cats had no solution for Fresno starter Erick Threets, who recovered to pitch five hitless innings and get the win.
"We aren't going to win many games with just four hits," said River Cats manager Todd Steverson. "It was an accomplishment to even be in the game as long as we were, but you have to tip your hat to Threets (3-5) because he pitched a great game."
Fresno tied the score with three runs in the fifth, thanks in part to a two-run homer by Scott McClain off of Cats starter Brad Knox. McClain was the PCL's MVP in 2006 while with the River Cats.
In the Fresno sixth, Ben Copeland doubled in a run and Clay Timpner and Steve Holm each singled in a run for a 7-4 Grizzlies' lead.
The Grizzlies added two more runs in the eighth. Travis Denker doubled in Copeland and later scored on Justin Leone's sacrifice fly.
Knox (7-3) struggled the entire night, giving up eight hits and six earned runs in five innings. Relievers Ryan Wing, Jeff Gray each pitched a scoreless inning, but Jay Marshall allowed two unearned runs in the eighth.
"We need to get good at-bats and have solid defense," said Putnam.
