AVON, Ohio — Max MacNabb fired eight shutout innings and Blake Brown and Trae Santos both hit two-run home runs Wednesday afternoon in the Gateway Grizzlies’ 7-1 victory over the Lake Erie Crushers at Sprenger Health Care Stadium.
MacNabb (8-6) struck out only two Crushers, but scattered six hits and worked eight scoreless frames on just 96 pitches for the win. His 3.27 ERA is the lowest among Grizzlies starting pitchers.
Brown went 3-for-4 with a homer, three RBIs and a walk. Santos was 2-for-3 with a round-tripper, a double, two RBIs and two walks. Combined, the pair is 18-for-40 (.450) — plus six walks — over the first five games of the Grizzlies’ current road trip with five home runs, four doubles, 16 RBIs and 10 runs scored. Santos has hit in six straight games with two hits in each game.
Gateway (30-40) won its second straight game to clinch the series victory, the Grizzlies’ second road series win of the year.
Lake Erie (36-32) dropped its fourth straight game, all at home.
Jhonniel Alvarez was 3-for-4 with a two-run double that put the Grizzlies on the board in the second inning. Cody Livesay added two singles and a run scored.
Gateway will go for its first road sweep of the year Thursday at 6:05 p.m. CDT against Lake Erie.
