FARGO, N.D. ⁠— The Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks took a 2-1 game lead in the best-of-five American Association Finals as they defeated the Milwaukee Milkmen 7-2 in front of 1,501 fans at Newman Outdoor Field on Tuesday night. RedHawks’ starting pitcher Tyler Grauer was perfect through 5.1 innings and earned the win after he allowed just one run on four hits and a walk over 7.1 innings pitched.

The RedHawks opened the scoring in the third inning as they scored five runs on four hits and chased Milkmen starter Ryan Zimmerman off the mound. Peter Maris hit a two-run home run in the inning, his second of the postseason. Nick Novak also drove in a pair of runs on a two-run single later in the third.

Zimmerman (1-1) earned the loss after allowing five runs on five hits and two walks over just 2.1 innings pitched. He was relieved by Myles Smith in the third inning. Smith allowed one run on two hits and five walks and struck out two batters over 2.2 innings in his appearance. Relief pitchers Jack Mahoney, A.J. Jones, and Juan Echevarria also pitched in the game for Milwaukee and all allowed at least one hit. Echevarria also allowed a run, an Alec Olund RBI single, in the bottom of the eighth inning.

The Milkmen scored their first run of the game in the top of the eighth inning on a Carl Chester RBI single off of Grauer. The lefty exited the game after loading the bases with only one out in the inning and was replaced by relief pitcher Luke Lind. Three of Milwaukee’s five hits in the game came in eighth.

Lind retired five of the six batters he faced in his appearance and earned the save in the win. The only hit he allowed was a Keon Barnum solo home run in the top of the ninth inning.

Game 4 of the American Association Finals will be played tomorrow night at Newman Outdoor Field. First pitch will be at 6:30 p.m. Starting pitchers for both teams have not yet been announced.

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