Preview: Fresno Grizzlies at Ontario Tower Buzzers

ONTARIO, Calif. (Interstat) — The Fresno Grizzlies look to continue their strong start when they visit the Ontario Tower Buzzers on Thursday at ONT Field, the third game of a series between the California League foes.

Fresno (7-3) brings momentum into the contest after a dominant 18-7 victory over Ontario on Tuesday, a game that featured a historic performance. The Grizzlies have won seven of their last nine.

Ontario (5-4) aims to rebound after Tuesday’s loss and a 2-2 tie with Fresno on Wednesday. The Tower Buzzers have split their last six games.

A key player to watch for Fresno is first baseman Tanner Thach, who is coming off a spectacular game. In Tuesday’s win, Thach went 4 for 6 with two home runs and seven RBIs, powering the offensive explosion. Over his last 10 games, he is batting .300 (12 for 40) with two homers and nine RBIs.

For Ontario, reliever Accimias Morales will be one to monitor. Despite the team’s loss on Tuesday, Morales provided two scoreless innings of relief, allowing just two hits and striking out three. He has a 3.86 ERA over 4.2 innings this season.

The series has been high-scoring, with 45 total runs in the first two meetings. Fresno’s offense has been potent, averaging 7.2 runs per game this season.

Projections for Thursday’s game present a split view. The Interstat game simulator predicts a 6-4 Fresno victory. However, the same service’s ELO rating system gives Ontario a slight edge, projecting a 52.6% probability to win.

Following Thursday’s game, the four-game series concludes with contests on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Fresno then returns home for a six-game set against the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes starting April 21. Ontario will hit the road for a six-game series at San Jose beginning April 21.

First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. PDT.